Dancing Monkeys (draft?)
by dollface78
Summary: Dollface and her friends are at it again, but this time, they have nothing left yet everything in the world to lose. Story one: https:/www.fanfiction
1. Homecoming Queens

….That had been a wonderful way to start the school year.

Dollface watched Missy and Foxx kissing, utterly defeated. She turned around, no longer enamoured by the wonderful dress uncle Sebbie had bought for her months ago just for Homecoming dances and watched her sneakered feet, white toes of the converse squeaking against the beige tiles.

"We are monsters, we are proud!" Cheerleaders giggled in the hall outside of the pulsing gym of Merston High, chanting the school's cheer, "We are monsters, sing it loud!"

Dollface pushed past the giggling swarm of cheerleaders, one of which was Dolli Mae. Dolli Mae looked at her and tried to smile at Dollface, then realised something was wrong.

Dollface bit back tears. She'd spent too long on her makeup to cry. Besides, she was a big girl now. She'd even survived that awful night. Missy couldn't say she had. She pulled her wallet out of the hidden pocket once inside and empty classroom. Missy had nothing on her now.

"Mommy, why do I feel sad? Should I give him away or feel this bad?" Dollface said aloud to the picture of her parents in the beaten leather wallet, wanting very badly to wear the bear head and pretend she wasn't there. "No, no, no, now don't you choke"

Dollface sniffed. She bet Mom never had that problem. She absently ruffled her hot pink hair, having decided to dye it completely to match the shifting colors of the dress. "Daddy chimed in, 'Go for the throat' For the throat. For, for the throat. Daddy chimed in, "Go for the throat'"

Dollface smiled. Foxx was never hers anyway. And it was his problem, not Dollface's...

….Dolli Mae slunk away from her cheer partners and retraced Dollface's steps to the back room. Ooh, ouch. No, wait, Foxx was pushing Prissy Missy Custer away. He looked angry, too.

Still, Dolli Mae couldn't tell from here. She stepped into the gym in her cross trainers and quickly found Wolfie and Princess. She grabbed their arms and pulled them away from the dance floor as she pointed at Missy and smiled widely. Wolfie and Princess mirrored with their own toothy grins, seeing a problem as well.

"As long as we get back in time for the slow dance. I promised Lilly we could have at least one."

"Of course Princess. I just need you to use your…. _THING_ and help me get rid of Missy." Dolli Mae explained as Princess took off her glasses to clean on the hem of her red skirt.

"I promised I would not use it unless necessary. You know what this town can do! Remember old man Krueger?"

"I know, but no one will know!" Dolli Mae remembered how the screams had been echoing around the town forever. It was sad that they hadn't gotten the right man too.

For the throat, for, for the throat, Daddy chimed in, "go for the throat". For the throat, for, for the throat, Daddy chimed in, "go for the throat".

"So, whatcha thinkin'?" Wolfie licked her lips, black smearing onto her pink tongue.

_(Class fight!)_


	2. Girl Fight Tonight!

….Princess stared at the knock-off oreo platter snatched from the refreshments table. Her camo green eyes darted from face to face in the dark room. She glanced at Missy pouting in the corner by her posse dancing to something poppy.

Princess sighed, all three girls wound tightly around the platter. She stared at the cookie closest to her at the top of the pile and willed it. Nothing.

Damn.

She fixated and the girls around her could see in what little light they had as Princess's eyes glazed over black like ink had dripped into them.

They had lift off as a cookie started to rise. Dolli Mae smiled and bit back a laugh of childish excitement, watching it hover ominously. She turned and watched Missy walking into the gym to join the other students to gyrate across the makeshift dance floor.

"Hurry!" Wolfie hissed to Princess.

Princess glared, then hissed back, "I need some time!"

The cookie dipped down at the loosened grip, then flew back up. It unscrewed itself to let the lame icing become a lethal concoction.

_3…__2…__1…__Bang!_

Dolli Mae fell over with laughter as ten yards away, Missy screeched, a cheap generic cookie conking her on the head and grinding its icing into her equally as cheap hair. She whipped her crusty, box dyed hair with way too much hairspray in it and glared at a posse member dancing beside her. Prissy Missy grabbed the girl and shook her.

Princess smiled and made two more cookies fly with a harsh, flat laugh, both hitting two more people near Missy. The girls laughed harder, watching the chaos unfold as a full-force bitch fight broke out around them and their plate of flying cookies.

_(Class Fight!)_

Dollface sat outside.

_...May You always walk in sunshine, slumber warm when night wind blow_...

Dollface sniffed, feeling more homesick than ever. Dollface rubbed the ring her parents sent her for her mostly forgotten sixteenth birthday, feeling like everything was wrong.

_...May you always live with laughter, for a smile becomes you so_...

Dollface sniffed again, feeling heartbroken over the missed slow dance. Dollface didn't want to look miserable, and the little vain girl worried her makeup would run and everyone would know that she'd been crying as the glittery mess ran down her cheeks.

_...May good fortune find you doorway, may the bluebird sing your song, may no troubles, travel your way, may no worries stay too long_.

She squeezed her stinging eyes shut, remembering hanging out at Friendly Bear's with her gang of friends before everything was pulled out from under them, even if the world she'd left behind was backwards and trapped inside the nightmare that was Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

_May your heartaches be forgotten, may be tears be spilled_.

Everyone was inside with whoever their heart desired. Who would notice the little tenth grader out here? Even Izzy had a date, out in Clockton dancing with her boyfriend Ben.

_May old acquaintance be remembered, and your cup of kindness fill_.

Dollface used to love school dances and now tonight was going to be more miserable than last night when her grandparents started arguing about her. She knew it was about her, even under her mask and through two closed doors.

"Hey." Dollface watched Foxx sit down next to her on the curb. It was like sitting next to a bear!

"Hi." She said meekly, trying to keep herself even in tone and emotion. What else could she say? She looked at her white rubber toes as a slow song played behind them.

"What are ya doin' in _MY_ spot?" Dollface ignored Foxx's little joke, hoping he'd just leave. She really didn't need this right now. She looked up at him and his blond curls. She tried to ignore whatever her mushier side was saying and tried to keep to logic.

"Just had to push Missy off'a me. God, she's a creep! How'd ya put up with her?"

_May you always be a dreamer, let your wildest dreams come true._

"It's embarrassin' enough. I don't even like her, and there she was tryin' t'get at me, and she still is t'some lame song from a hundred years ago."

"Sixty years actually."

The song played on between them. Dollface remembered wanting to escape and never leaving from nightmares she'd been having lately.

_Mommy, why do I feel sad? Should I give him away, or feel this bad_? It was their problem, not Dollface's, even if it hurt a lot. Dollface wanted to wear her golden suit head and sit in the corner of her bedroom.

_No, no, no, now don't you choke_.

Dollface rolled her eyes. "If this is yer idea of a joke Foxx, then eat yer shorts."

"Love to." Foxx muttered with an edge in his voice. They sat in silence for a bit. Dollface tried not to look back over at him. Dollface didn't want to think about it. She just didn't like feeling this way. She didn't like having crushes or rising heat of anger.

"I miss workin' at t'laser arena, got me out of stayin' home and makin' sure the ol' man got stuff done after work."

"I'm still workin' there, technically."

"Really?" Foxx sounded incredulous, "How even? The place is gone!"

"Henry never told me t'quit or whatever, so technically yes, my friends an' I're still employees. Though now that it's gone t'corporate, I might be fired soon." Dollface shrugged.

Foxx sniffed. "What exactly happened that night?"

"Why?"

"I dunno. It feels like you've changed." Foxx said with a shrug of his broad shoulders. That bothered Dollface, how easily it fell off his back. He could never know.

He could never understand.

And that was almost more upsetting and frustrating than him with Missy.

"I haven't changed."

"What?"

"I haven't changed. I just learned too much." Dollface said darkly.

"Oh," Foxx said, nonchalant. "Well, I gotta go back, my girlfriend is probably wonderin' where I am."

Dollface stared ahead at the lone parking lot as he left her sitting by the curb. She felt bothered. Girlfriend? She shoulda known. The song soon changed to something else and she stood, watching his back as Foxx entered the school once again. Dollface waited for the doors to close before she followed behind.

She needed to find her friends again, even if they all were crazy.


	3. Spin Me Round like a Record

Dollface slammed open the gymnasium doors to let her ears be flooded by synth rock.

Something eighties.

Good. She could recognize it.

Dollface's black almond eyes swept smolderingly across the darkened room.

Everyone stopped to turn to her in the fluffy spaghetti-strapped dress. They scuttled to the sides of the wall as tiny discs scraped against the floor to follow them to the folded bleachers.

Now that the slow dance was over, no one wanted to acknowledge each other. Students from ninth to twelfth grade huddled in groups, ecstasy of the moment over, lingering shreds of emotions quickly destroyed by the drastic change in music. Dollface stood angrily in the center of the dance floor with the lights flashing green, magenta, and electric blue over her.

"If I get to know your name." She sneered like old Hollywood as she snarled out the song, looking for a target. Her first target, if she was to be precise. "Well if I could trace your private number baby!"

Her eyes washed over the school nerds, a curvy River Song and awkward Doctor Who still dancing together in the dark.

It didn't matter. Dollface had no chance with Foxx anyway.

And tonight was a night for dancing and playing amongst the pink smoke, not one to whine and carry on about unattainable crushes!

"All I know is that to me, you look like you're having lots of fun." Her eyes quickly hit a target. Lydia Deats and all five extra pounds of acne and scabs. Dollface grabbed the pizza faced girl in stripes with a smile, and spun to her with the line, "Watch out here I come!"

Dollface switched off and grabbed the next grade level up with Christopher, the kid who'd gotten so nervous in third grade he'd peed himself, as she spun them all right round like a record. Dollface snatched Ghoulia who giggled, surprised at the attention, spinning each other right round, baby right round, round round.

Up, and up, with kids wanting in on the fun and signaling to her and her fancy footwork as she snatched kids like candy and tossed them back like fish into the lake. They were completely spellbound, unable to tear away from that presence.

Dollface grabbed whoever she could, hitting upper mid ladder by grabbing Abbie from where she was messily snogging Chet in her formals by the furred white collar and dancing inhumanly, then grabbing her date which made Dollface remember Foxx, even down to coloration, but definitely not personality, then throwing them back together.

Dollface grabbed Duke, a tall blond boy she'd known for a very long time through the under budgeted school orchestra. He'd talked her into trying out for drama club last year. Spin, spin, then a dip as he lowered her. Duke actually almost looked surprised at her presence.

No one seemed to be safe from Dollface's grasp though, and soon she let go of his hand and made her way for Princess's girlfriend Lilly. Lilly giggled like a Disney Princess or Alice Angel from old Joey Drew cartoons.

Finally, there was only one more person left in the Merston High gymnasium that hadn't danced with Dollface. Dollface had danced with the aliens and the humans and the monsters and whatever else she could get her hands on in her anger and disappointment. The lovers, the dreamers, the freaks and I.

Oh, would she dare?

Could she really?

Dollface reached her outstretched hand to Prissy Missy Custer.

Missy glared, seeming almost ready to say something. Something to yell, to name call, to tear Dollface and her dance of unity to pieces. But the music ended too abruptly. The spell Dollface had cast was over, dissipating with the dying notes of the fading memory.

"Sorry Missy, songs' over." Dollface scooted closer, uncomfortably close, radiating a certain energy as she panted out, "Maybe next time."

And Dollface walked away, everyone watching, waiting for the next song to play, hearing the silence as Dollface sashayed to the exit in a cloud of brown feathers and glitter, leaving Missy feeling unusually left out. Even her friends had a chance to fly.

She walked into her room, socked feet on the checkered tiles as her brown feathers flittering around her and falling into her hair.

Boy was she tired.

She could hear her grandparents arguing about her again tonight, because they always were. Dollface nuzzled into the bear, sleep evading her grasp as she fell onto her bed once again once again.

Damn.

Then again, she didn't want to take the sleeping pills again. She could hear Gramma and Grampa getting upset about winter break, which was still so, so far away. Dollface didn't like winter break because she'd have to go…

_There_.

To Dad's house somewhere in the English contryside, somewhere Dollface refused to go.

She tried to snuggle down under her weighted blanket and family quilts in her teddy bear hoodie. Don't tell them, because what she'd seen never happened. She was not related to him if she never said what the maid saw.

She gave up on sleeping and stood on the cold, barren floor in her socks, feeling one disappointment after another hitting her like a toy gun. Dollface yawned.

Tired, but not sleepy.

She tottered over to the slatted closet doors and opened it, reaching for the top shelf, pulling down the yellow head. She brushed her hand over the furry cheek of the bear with a purple top hat and smiled.

Gramma had managed to get the dried blood off by tossing it into the dishwasher and curry combing the fur eith the dog's spevial brushes. Dollface placed it over her head and fell against the wall.

Courage was barking.

Ugh, what did that mutt want?

Dollface stood up and tottered to the door. She had things to do tomorrow, she couldn't stay up anymore than necessary.

Courage stopped barking, room falling silent. Gramma and Grampa must've gone to bed then.

He started scratching at the door. She rolled her eyes.

If you've never had a pet that could or would scratch at a door, then you probably would not understand how terrifying even the smallest and yappiest of dogs can sound as the animal hurrels itself against the wood of the only thing separating you from the outside world. Courage scratched at the door, black claws scraping at the wood like a monster, scrambling around desperately like a maniac to be let in.

"Okay, okay, jeez." She stood and tossed the yellow suit head onto the bed and opened the door a little. "Courage?"

Where was the funny little dog? Dollface lifted the door open more and looked up, seeing the burning blue eyes of a bear.

She screamed.

The behemoth of metal, fur, and toys grabbed her and dragged her screaming into the hallway then tossed her against the endless expanse of papered wall, holding her at eye level as he growled hungrily like a machine. Dollface screamed and tried to fight, but just like in nightmare fashion, she was weak and feeble, voice not registering and movements falling slow and unsteady.

The nightmare that was Freddy Fazbear leaned closer, rot on his breath as his metal teeth grazed her neck.

Dollface sat up on the tiles, slowdance winding away. She pulled a brown feather from her pink hair. She'd said screw it, and went from streaks to full-blown madness after what happened.

"Yo." String Bean watched Dollface wake herself up and gave her friend a hand. "What're ya doin' out here?"

"Oh, yeah, just got tired or whatever." Dollface answered, brushing off any lint. "What time is it? I left my watch at home."

String Bean turned in circles looking for a clock and stopped, seeing one down the tiled corridor covered in red and black streamers.

"Aw, shit, nearly midnight." String Bean said as she fluffed out her sandy blonde hair. "One last dance, you up to it?"

Dollface smiled. "Love to."

"Y'know, that performance earlier was pretty impressive." String Bean wrapped her long arm around Dollface. Gosh, she was tall! String Bean beamed and pushed open the gym doors as the last song of the night started to play after a round of slow dancing. "I think you'll do just fine, kiddo!"


	4. Basement Dwellers

Marcus snurked awake in his chair.

Fuuuuuuuuuuu--

The phone was ringing.

It did that every night.

He put it on speaker, who cared if he actually listened to the moron on the phone?

Anyway, time to get hard, like every night. He pulled out the magazine and started to drool as a monitor beeped.

"Good news man, we found one, a real one." Marcus ignored the man on the phone and his excitement over 'authentic' tapes to play and shit.

Marcus could see something move on the monitors of the escape complex's security cams. He didn't care, it could wait for him to finish.

Sucked bein' a twenty-nine year old virgin livin' outta Momma's pocket. But it wasn't like he couldn't go anywhere else to do this, and pleasure before work was the 300 pounder's motto.

The uniform, a legit one handed to him after the complex's construction on Marcus's hiring hung too long and baggy even on him.

Whoever 'Mike Schmidt' was, he was an absolute unit, the uniform loose in the shoulders and leaving NO room whatsoever for Marcus's huge, drooping belly that jiggled almost obscenely over his suffering belt from one too many microwave pizza pockets.

The monitor beeped louder, tone of emergency raising in a crescendo.

"Fine, I'm done!" Marcus snapped, zipping his pants. He looked up and gulped at the fogged glass window, dropping the dirty magazine to the linoleum floor.

"Hello?" The monitor beeped again, getting even louder.

Marcus glared, interrupted before he could even get it up. Girls were just plain evil, never even touching him after he held the door for them, so of course he had to stick to this routine.

"What do you want?" He pulled out the system check and bashed the side of the wheezing computer. It stopped beeping.

Whatever.

False alarm.

He bent with a groan to retrieve his magazine, only to stop halfway back up and see why the bullet-proofed glass was fogged.

"Well, gotta go now man, but I'll leave you with these great audio tapes I found. You'll probably find it in there somewhere!" ~click.

It was a rabbit.

A big, yellow-green rabbit that looked like it had been dragged from a lake as it's deteriorated grey eyes pierced through the steam escaping its mouth, hot, heavy, and humid.

Marcus just stared.

It didn't look like a threat.

He sat.

His knees where killing him.

Marcus just plopped the ragged magazine onto the beaten desk, not really wanting an audience. "Shoo, get outta here!"

The rabbit cocked its head, ear flopping. The other was a stump with a rod shooting out from it. It turned and stumbled.

Marcus was surprised that had worked, but soon found that the rabbit changed it's mind and walked straight into the office through the doorless doorway, kicked the soggy cardboard box of toys.

The next morning, the manager found they'd need a new night watchman, because the old one had gotten up and walked away.

Clearly.


	5. St Judes'

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine Izzy, just wished ya told me earlier so we wouldn't have set t'booth up."

Dollface carefully held Izzy on her lap, all laid out to keep her stomach from hurting any more than it had to. Izzy had apologized so many times already now to Ben. Ben was white-knuckled on the old farm truck's steering wheel as he drove to the Big City's women and children's hospital. He finally pulled into the lot that was really crowded.

"Oh, hey, I was born here!" Dollface mumbled as she propped Izzy up. Ben opened the door and pulled his girlfriend out to carry her like a bride. Ever since he started bringing Izzy to the market with him, he found himself selling more product and selling things he never thought would do well, like weeds off the highway or old corn stalks from last harvest.

"Oh, that's wonderful." Izzy sounded distant, cringing at every step. Wow, her stomach must really hurt!

"Yeah, there were some weird complications, so I had to stay a few extra months before Grampa could take me home." Dollface tried to distract Izzy from the pain.

Ben set the chicken girl down and Izzy leaned heavy on Dollface, watching him tell the E.R. attending nurse what was wrong. The lady waved Izzy over and the girls hobbled to the desk.

"Started a little after t'steam fest."

"Last week, then." Ben clarified. Other information was recorded, and eventually, Izzy was sent in.

"Hey, can y'all call her ma fer me?" Ben tossed a quarter to Dollface. She nodded and darted around other patients to the phone booth.

"Hi, Mrs. Deyhet?" After calming the town hair stylist down, Dollface explained the situation and eventually hung up.

"She'll be comin' soon." Dollface explained to Ben. Ben looked really tired all of a sudden.

"I really hate t'do this, but I need t'go back t'the market and pack t'stall backup." He sighed, watching the door Izzy had disappeared into for an emergency appendectomy. It was amazing how much he seemed to care. Izzy was so lucky.

"It's fine. I'll wait here. I'll even buy flowers for ya." Dollface watched him stand up to leave. There had been so many cars in the parking lot, yet not many people were here today. She shrugged.

Whatever.

Dollface pulled out her rubber-banded wallet from her overall skirt's front facing pocket and followed the signs up a level to the gift shop. A cow plush sat in the window, and seeing that as a good omen, she skipped inside to find flowers or a card, or maybe even another, cheaper cow plush.

She stepped to the rack of toys and checked the tags.

Nope.

Dollface had begun to refuse overpriced Funtom toys, especially after that terrible night at Freddy's. Going up to the Farmer's Market and driving past an updated location with rosy cheeked robots had been enough to set the girls on edge. Ben hadn't seemed to notice their averted gazes, which was good.

It was best to avoid conflict for now.

Dollface dropped the stuffy into the bin. Maybe a card would be better. Hallmark did have it all, and her wallet could take so many beatings if she stuck to the clearance rack and bargain bins.

"Oh my gawd Jenine, they're here!"

"The benefactors?!" The two clerks rushed past Dollface to the window facing the parking lot and the city's industrial sky-lines.

Benefactors?

Dollface passed the rotating card rack and watched the expensive black car roll into the parking lot amongst news vans and reporters scuttling around like ants.

"Why would such a wealthy family even want to be seen here?" The red headed clerk asked.

"Two words Jenine, tax break."

"You're probably right, Christine," Jenine snapped her gum. Christine, the brunette, tapped the window, "Look at that tall guy! Even from here!"

Jenine whistled. "Didn't someone's kid stay here for awhile or something and now they do this every year?"

"Hell if I know."

Dollface sat on the edge of their conversation, words no longer registering as she put together the pieces in her head.

Why?

She didn't really care about getting Izzy a nice card anymore. She wanted to go home, but Mrs. Deyhet wasn't gonna be here for a while, and Ben might not even come back at all after packing his truck.

Ben had turned eighteen last month or so, making the ordeal easier and faster on poor Izzy and what would later be called appendisitus.

Dollface ghosted past the two women carrying on by the giant window and carried herself downstairs, watching her booted feet walk down the stairs and lead her away from the E.R. and into the parking lot to wait outside. She could see her father taking pictures and holding the bigass check with Marion.

Dollface hated both of them.

She hated them with a burning rage that can never truly be quelled or quenched.

She sat on the curb and sighed heavily, _REALLY_ wanting to go home.

Had her parents really been coming here, within reach for so long and never bothered to tell her? Even now after she'd met them?

She watched dark haired, short Ciel be interviewed with Marion, the tall, blonde and beautiful wife of the literal billionaire who Dollface could never live up to even if Marion had come home from some forein country pregnant as a cockroach.

Dollface sighed, and decided she'd rather just go back inside instead of make herself more miserable. They wouldn't notice or care anyway if Dollface left. She eventually found a small corner to be miserable by herself somewhere inside the hulking building and eventually fell asleep on the floor of an assorted waiting room, hidden behind couches and sterile fears.


	6. Show and Tell

Ooooh, oooowww…

Dollface tried to orient herself and her surroundings on a stage with purple curtains, surrounded by silver tinsel stars. She doubled over with a sharp gasp of surprise, then rose back up like she was taking a deep bow.

What the-

"You pull me by my hair, so I don't go nowhere, tell me you love me, but you treat me like I'm never there!"

Say what now? Dollface was on wires, mouth flapping open as the lyrics flopped out in perfect pitch and time as the strings pulled her into a disjointed dance. She realized her feet with dirty lace socks and scuffed mary jane heels were inches off the ground as she was forced to turn in the frilly brown dress. "You say the cruelest words, you used to break my heart, 'cause, I'm over here working my ass off!"

She tried to squint past the stage and into the blackness of the crowd.

"Why is it so hard to see? If I cut myself, I would bleed." She could hear someone behind her whispering every line to her, then saying, 'kill me'.

"I'm just like you, you're like me. Imperfect and human, are we?" She was forced to roll her hips and turn with a stuttering step like a doll on a string. "Show and tell."

Dollface glared into the audience, realizing someone was out there, just not helping her.

"I'm on display for all you fuckers to see." She changed the wording a little, making the whisperer hiss. Dollface wanted to smile her rosebud painted lips seeing that it worked as someone started to surface. Always go for the ego.

She looked up at the striped ceiling, then her head was ripped forward with an audible crack. "Show you tell, harsh words if you don't get a pic with me."

Who was that in the distance, taking their sweet time?

"Buy and sell," the little whisper followed with, 'Buy and sell me, baby'. Dollface refused to sing that.

"Like I'm a product to society," Dollface ran over the line as she was pulled up, then forced to walk with little juttering steps over the tiled floor, "Art don't sell, unless ya fuck every authority!"

Wah!

Dollface was tossed to the back by the unseen puppeteer, electric blue bows fluttering and retieing themselves as she was placed hovering on her feet, arms waving. "You beg and cry for more, even when I say 'no more!'"

Her hand was lifted and plucked a tiny tophat from her pink hair, and she rolled it on her shoulders by the brim, black bow tickling her neck. "There are strangers takin' pictures of me when I ask, 'no more'! It's really hard

for me to say just how I feel, I'm scared that I'll get thrown away like a banana peel."

Dollface let out a scream as she was thrown into the brick wall behind her, back smacking the prop sun and cloud. The voice hissed at her angrily as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Why is it so hard to see?" the voice picked up and Dollface returned to center stage to be thrown around in a dance she didn't consent to. "If I cut myself, I would bleed."

'Kill me', the voice whispered from behind her.

"I'm just like you, you're like me, imperfect and human, aren't we?"

Dollface tried to pull away towards the edge of the stage, but was tugged back. She attempted to fight against the pull of the strings, but they tightened, cutting into her skin without a sound.

"Show and tell," the voice copycatted Dollface with extra vigor, 'Show and tell!'

"I'm on display for all you fuckers to see."

'Fuckers to see!' Dollface wanted to find the source of the voice that had risen and tried to take over hers. She wanted to kick them. "Show you tell."

'Show and tell!'

She could see the audience member surface from the dark. "Show and tell, ha ha ha!"

Dollface reached for her father as he appeared, blue eye glowing, other hidden behind his dairk hair and leather patch, "Why can't you fucking hear me?"

He wouldn't take her hand. "Dad! Please, help me!"

Ciel cocked his head, studying her with his blue eye.

"Show and tell, are you listening yet?" She pulled forward, trying to reach him, just someone to grab hold of. "Show and tell! I'm on display for all you fuckers to see."

Ceil turned around. Dollface strained and brown wings dimly flew from her back as she screamed for him. "Buy and sell, like I'm a product to society!"

She scrambled, wings appearing more solidly and flapping frantically, unable to reach the short man in the suit, tripping over the short, structured, Rococo skirt, black bow tie gagging her. "Dad, please!"

The strings wrenched Dollface back with a gasp. "Art don't sell unless you've fucked every authority…"

The strings fell slack, Ciel having turned with a disappointed shake of his head, nowhere in sight. She fell onto her knees, wings drooping and arms still restrained.

Why should she trust him anyway?

Ciel may have fathered her, but he was no dad.


	7. Wake Up Call

"Little wren, please do wake up."

"Mmm, what?" Dollface squinted up, still half asleep. Uncle Sebbie?

Oh, yeah, riiiiiight…

She pulled herself up and over the couch to meet him, ignoring his large hand up.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"No, I got it covered," She checked her watch, one bought in the men's section because Dollface tended to play a little rough, "Oh SHIT! That long? I gotta leave!"

She jumped up, but was quickly snagged by Sebastian and his dark glasses. He picked a brown feather out of her hair and it blackened, turning to ash in his hands.

"Come, I'll escort you out, little wren."

"Oh my gosh, it's Freddy!" Dollface turned to the reporter rushing to the door to the outside world. "Hi, I'm Jeanette Reilly from the city news station, are you Freddy Fazbear?"

"Yes." Dollface looked around her, realizing that the attention was now on her and not her father. Ciel looked at her with a disapproving stare.

"How vulgar Marion."

"Vulgar indeed, dear." Answered Dollface's mother. Dollface tried to ignore them, but the comments hit her harder than she cared for.

"Yes, I am Freddy."

"And why are you here today at the charity?"

Ms. Reilly asked, handing the mic over her face. Dollface looked at it, then said, "Chica got sick today while we were in town, so we got her here."

"Oh, that's terrible. Are any new shows coming up?"

"Uh, yes, actually, we had t'take a break cause o'school, but we'll be back for the grand opening of a new attraction."

"Sounds exciting! What's the new attraction?"

Dollface smiled at Ciel's resting glare, revelling in his disapproval. "Fazbear's Fright. It's an escape complex near the mall."

"What's an escape room? Could you tell the people at home what that is?"

"An escape room is generally just a room a group of people get locked into and have to get out, generally with riddles. But Fazbear Entertainment decided to make a complex- the biggest one in the state, maybe even the country. We'll be mixing animatronics, horror attractions, and multiple escape rooms for customers." Dollface said, remembering the letter and reciting it as well as she could, "And it'll be opening around Halloween!"

Why not give off all the information needed? The more the merrier!

"We'll be there in costume for the opening." Dollface explained, "And we've been rehearsing since corporate took over."

"That sounds wonderful!" Jeanette said, mic retrieved. "Can we hear some music before we move on? We'd love to have a full interview, if that's available."

"Oh, yes, I'll talk it over with my family." Dollface took the offered card for the Big City's local station, "And yes, I'll sing a few bars."

Dollface suddenly heard a song play in her ears that hadn't been written yet.

Oh hell yeah.

She turned to Ciel and Marion and started to sing in a lilting melody, card shoved into her overall skirt pocket, "Don't call me crazy, you love me, but you won't come save me."

She smiled with venom, hyper aware of the cameras rolling live as she swayed, "You got a wife and kids, you see them daily, don't know why you even need me"

She rocked in her boots, knowing anyone watching recognized her as Freddy Fazbear in street clothes and neutral eyeshadow, "Teacher's pet. If I'm so special, why am I a secret?"

"And that's about the only time we have left, thank you very much, Freddy. I am Jeanette Reilly, KMOV news, back to you."

"Oh my god dear, there you are!" Mrs. Deyhet rushed through the emptying crowd to Dollface. "I just finished talking to staff, she'll be home in a few days."

She looked around the parking lot that was quickly clearing out now that Ciel and his usual procession of people had finished and left. Kids were being lead away by parents sucking on funtom lollipops.

"Man, it sure is crowded today." Dollface followed Mrs. Deyhet to her car. She opened the passenger door for Dollface and watched her climb in. Mrs. Dehyet sat in the drivers' seat. "I am so sorry ya had t'stay here all day, girlie, would ya like some dinner on our way home?"

"No ma'am, I'm fine. I can wait till I get home. I mostly just slept today anyways." Dollface fet almost guilty for sleeping when her friend was so sick and her parents were literally outside. "I'm fine."


	8. The Principles

Dollface glared at the old black telephone in the kitchen, hanging scuffed over the spare guest dining chair.

Home alone on a Monday night on the first day of October.

How pathetic.

Ever since Izzy stopped being one of the cooers and the one cooed at, Dollface found herself in this position more often. Besides, Izzy was sick and was coming home today after a very long weekend away.

School was boring.

Home was boring.

Rehearsals were boring, even with friends.

And Dollface felt more alone than she ever had in her entire life of sixteen years.

Wolfie was busy, Thorne and String Bean had each other, making Dollface feel like an invited third wheel, Princess now worked at her girlfriend's family bakery, and Izzy was hanging around Ben and managing money when she

wasn't in the hospital.

And Dad wanted nothing to do with her, even pretending she didn't exist for sixteen years. Not even a stupid card once a year. And seeing Uncle Sebbie and learning this newish information had left Dollface feeling betrayed by

a near stranger. She snatched the phone and dialed a number, fingers flying as she stared at the scrap paper her no-good asshat mother had left last time she bothered to show up, selecting the correct characters on the rotary dial as it whirred to zero.

"Sneaky, greedy, money seeking, always peeping, really creeping," She rapped into the phone, upon hearing a surprised voice she recognized, "Got it on the down low, so you think you always squeaky."

"Dollface?"

Dollface stepped forward, away from the chair. "What if I had told your mother her son was a cruel motherfucker? It's not just me, it's everybody who thinks that you're stupid ugly." Another step, then another, almost a strut in her pink dress as she walked into a tiled hallway that hadn't been

there before, "When you come and hurt us just so you can get your money, forced to follow the leader who's being possessed by demons"

"Dollface, you're being rude." Ciel said, accent scraping her brain like overhyped nails on a chalkboard, "I am your father, and I'm too busy for this uncivil drabble."

Oh, now you've asked for it asshat!

"I've tried to make you listen, but you won't, it's your way, right? Killing kids all day and night, prescription pills and online fights, shooting at the angels while claiming you're the good guy." Dollface continued to spout fire, black boots marching on tile, cord reaching endlessly in the blackened corridor behind her, children's drawing cracking

and curling on the walls from a rapid aging process left unseen, "All you want is cash and hype, screw our dreams and that's not right!"

She bounded down the dented metal stairs with steel grips, tiles making way for an industrial boiler room full of spare parts and boxes of gouged plastic eyes, "Oh, it's your principles."

She kicked a box of titanium skulls at another of Ciel's voicings of disapproval, pink phone still gripped in her hand, "Complicated, overrated, you're fixated, I'm belated, by the separation in this place that you've created."

"This isn't my problem, you're acting childish again." Ciel said into the phone with an even tone.

"Screw all of your rules and guidelines, you shouldn't even be on the sidelines," Dollface said, running up another flight of steps and onto a stage, overlooking an audience of shadows, "Can't you see that we're all hurtin'? If you're not teaching, we're not learnin'. Excuse me, how much

are you earnin'?"

"That's confidential."

"I've tried to make you listen, but you won't, it's your way, right?" She sneered angrily. He wasn't ever there. Not even a damn card, just calm, cold, and calculated nothings. He sent money whenever, but never even

admitted to Dollface's existence, "Killing kids all day and night, prescription pills and online fights"

"Dollface, what do you want?" Ciel was starting to show emotion. She hit him in his massive ego. About time he was taken down a notch or two. But the emotion in his voice was untracable, unreadable, so Dollface continued

to rhythmically snarl at him through the yellow phone.

"Shooting at the angels while claiming you're the good guy. All you want is cash and hype, screw our dreams and that's not right!" Dollface bit back angry tears, hot and stinging in her heavily lined eyes as she stomped her

white boots on the wood of the stage, then jumped off and into a classroom. English lit, to be exact. She sat at the teacher's desk, slumping back in the chair, body limp and heavy, "You don't know the pain that you are

causing, yeah, your actions hurt, so do your words."

She breathed in deep, calming herself, coiled cord phazing through the black board, from whence it came. Dollface propped her foot up onto the

desk, not caring much about the pleated plaid skirt falling below her knee as she flexed her foot shod with chunky brown slip-ons. "The more you try to screw us over, we will be there yelling at your front door."

"Dollface, why are you calling me like this?"

"I'm trying to make you listen, but you won't, it's your way, right?"

…..Ciel woke up at his desk.

Oh dear, he fell asleep at it again. Sebastian or Marion usually came in to

get him to bed, but here he was among his papers and documents. That had

been a strange dream, a rather odd one. Sounded almost like his daughter

had been yelling at him through the telephone Ciel kept on his desk.

Oh well, time to call the butler in so Ciel could get ready for bed...

...Dollface sat behind the desk and looked at her only student, a girl with a

cleft lip and intricate braids. The girl adjusted her green and red striped sweater as she stood.

Dollface dropped her pink phone, watching it snap back through the black board like a rubber-band.

"Miss-miss Cowatch?"

"Yeah?" She looked sidelong at the girl's dark face.

"I weally, weally like it when you dwess up an-an-"

_GULP_!

Dollface stared at the quick end to her only student' speech as a ratty bear swallowed the girl whole. She sat up in the kitchen chair, phone still in its cradle. She needed a shower, it was still a school night, afterall.


	9. Pointless Interruptions

Springtrap ripped the watchman in half, right down the middle.

He dropped the two halves, reveling in the bloody mess as the undamaged organs fell, completely satisfied. Rats scurried to the sight of new food. It had been a perfect split, one leg on one side, one on the other, horror movie style.

The guard had put up too much of a struggle for William, or what was left of William, to get in his dirty little kicks, which had been a shame. The last guy, not the big fat neckbeard, but the one after had been fun to….

Play with.

This guard was soon eaten up by rats, and flies lapped at the seeping blood. The phantoms were becoming more real everyday, leaving Springtrap childishly excited for Halloween.

The grand opening of the Escape complex, which was little more than a cheap butler building with rooms modeled like gold location.

The location the bite happened.

William, Springtrap, whatever he was now, a revenant maybe, remembered his son, barely eight, screaming and fighting as he was thrown into the jaws of a yellow bear by teens that would later be dragged out for murder. William had seen his opening, and ran to a back room to steal away his ex's son.

Sammy would never be found, because Sammy didn't deserve to be perfect like the others.

Springtrap juttered past a wall decoration made out of spare Foxy pieces, lights mounted behind the empty mask.

Tacky.

Tacky.

_Tacky_.


	10. Wheels on the Bus

"I'm just lookin' out the window an' it's cold outside. There are two boys yellin' behind me an' I'm terrified." Dolli Mae muttered, Wolfie dozing next to her on the bus, "Countin' trees as they pass me by, an' I'm tryin' not t'look across t'aisle."

"Why not?" Wolfie mumbled. It was too early for school.

"'Cause Maya's lettin' Dan put his hand up her skirt, an' she's got her hand down his pants. I know the driver sees it, I know he's peekin' in the rearview mirror." Dolli Mae counted red pen scratches on the leather bus seats from asshole kids scribbling everywhere. "He says nothing."

"Never does."

Dolli Mae looked out the window again, red seats forgotten as other kids, some freshmen, some juniors, never seniors, screamed around them. Wolfie turned her walkman up higher.

"Tryin' to ignore it, it's really borin'. I'm quietly observing, but I'll say nothing."

"Why not?" Wolfie asked, still mostly asleep. She was fading fast back into dreamland.

"No one's watchin' us, they don't give a crap." Dolli Mae said, pulling out tangy colored lipstick and a mirrored compact. She'd started getting into makeup after she started playing Foxy on stage. She could see why Dollface liked it so much, and Dolli Mae was damned if she had to have Dollface help her on the Halloween opening performances.

The wheels on the bus continued to turn on the gravel of the county roads to school.

"I'ma light it up and pass it, puff, puff and pass it" Said some kid as the stench of skunk and dirty feet mixed with tobacco filled the back of the bus. Wolfie was out like a light now. Dolli Mae gagged.

Ugh, couldn't they wait to go to Zombie Road after school or something?

"Don't be a dick and, baby, Come on, just pass it over here" a girl insisted. Dolli Mae continued counting trees as they passed her by, trying not to look a row behind, 'cause Jason's got his ass on the glass and she hates him.

"Driver hit a bump real fast!" She shouted, voice lost in the crowd. He said nothing.

"I know the driver sees it, I know he's peekin' in the rearview mirror." Dolli Mae said again, lips repainted and compact put back into her insanely heavy backpack.

The bus stopped in front of a new house. She didn't recognize this place, were the occupants new?

The doors squealed open, allowing a familiar boy with tanned skin and neon red curls onto the bus with a crooked smile. Dolli Mae stood, heeled boots planted on the floor, Wolfie snoring next to her.

The boy, around her age looked at her with golden eyes, striped sweater over his black jeans. Dolli Mae could feel her thigh high pirate boots adding an extra inch to her stature as she straightened to look over the seat back.

The bus lurched, and she fell onto her butt back into the bench, kid still standing, almost looking past her as a giant threadbare fox that could barely fit inside the cramped interior squeezed behind him. Its muzzle was ripped, revealing the wire armatures and teeth gleaming in the light let through in the dirty windows as it's jaws widened.

The boy kept smiling past Dolli Mae as the jaws of the beast clamped down on his head and it reared back, his red conversed legs kicking then falling limp as he slid down the fox's thick throat.

"Wolfie, what the what just happened?"

"What? Can't hear you, my walk-man is too LOUD!"


	11. Hall Pass

Tuesday mornings suck!

Almost as much as Monday mornings!

It was only the second period of the day, and Wolfie wanted to fall on her face, right into the graffitied desk. She yawned and fell back into her chair with a loud groan.

Miss Simeon glared at her, then continued on about the book they were reading or whatever. Wolfie glared at the cover of her copy of 'Lord of the

Flies', and slumped forward, bored as hell. She couldn't concentrate knowing Izzy was in the hospital another day or so. Ugh, she wanted to jump out the window right now and just…

Leave.

Not sure where though. The only thing she knew well enough was Elmore, and Clockton, and the Big City.

Wolfie always wanted to leave. Not sure where to, but leave this stupid town and discover something that was so much bigger than her. Just like her dad always yammered about at the podium.

Except with less Jesus.

Jesus was nice and all, but he wasn't the source of Wolfie's wanderlust. Maybe one day, but not for now.

Her thirst for the outside world and its adventures had only been sparked by that night just months ago, when she realized just how much she had to, no _NEEDED_ to get out of this town. That laughing face with painted tears streaming down its cheeks still haunted Wolfie when she closed her eyes. She could barely stand small spaces now. Wolfie needed to roam freely.

Wolfie let her eyes wander away to the opened doorway.

What the…?

She stood, chair scraping against the tiles and making her cringe from the ear-rapey sound. Miss Simeon kept talking, not noticing Wolfie abandon her desk and walk to the doorway.

Wolfie took a knee, inspecting the smear across the floor like a trail in the woods.

She turned down the tiled hallway and passed the clock that stopped working last year, budget not allowing for a replacement, leaving it a shell, hands drooping miserably.

A kid stood under it in a red and green sweater. It beckoned and turned, making Wolfie follow to the school auditorium.

Wolfie rolled her eyes.

Some elementary schooler must've gotten lost and went to the wrong wing of the K-12 building or whatever. Wolfie peeled away, ignoring the androgenous brat.

"Hi?" She ignored the untraceable voice behind her, "Hello?"

"I don't care," Wolfie grumbled dryly, watching the trailing stain.

"Don'cha wanna see where t'trail leads?"

"Nah, I'm good," Wolfie snorted. She hated kids and their sticky selves, how she managed to be talked into working at an arcade for them was beyond her. Oh wait, she got paid to. "I gotta pee anyway."

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Eh!" Wolfie stumbled in surprise as she bumped into something tall and lanky in front of her. "Ew, loser."

She rolled her eyes and walked around her slender black roadblock. It reached it's striped tentacles to her, and she ignored it.

Don't give it power if it didn't need it.

It wrapped the tentacles around her ankles and ripped her legs out from under her. Wolfie shrieked, not fully prepared for the retaliation and kicked, feeling like a fish on a line.

"C'mon," The marionette said, toothed mouth gaped in a smile as black tears leaked from its empty sockets, "Don't be scared!"

The steel rib cage opened and grazed at Wolfie as she screamed, bug-eyed as every springlock snapped to try and ensnare her. She couldn't move!

_SNAP_!

"Yes Miss Simeon!"

Miss Simeon glared at Wolfie from behind her thick, neon orange horn-rimmed glasses, ruler still on the wood desk. "I asked you a question. Could you answer for the class?"

"Um, what page, m-ma'am?" Wolfie stuttered out.

"If you were paying attention in class, you would know." Miss Simeon was the worst! "Why can't you be more like Missy?"

Wolfie looked over at Prissy Missy and growled. Missy sneered, knowing she was still the queen bee. Ha! She got Dollface to do all her English assignments for her! Regardless of whatever Missy did, Wolfie was still handed a detention sheet.


	12. Lunchbox Friends

"Hey girl, will ya like, sit with me? Table in t'back o' t'Cafeteria? We can be like, friends if ya like, wanna be, or whatever." Missy offered. Izzy looked at her, genuinely considering. She was aware of Dollface's excited then falling gaze.

But only 'till t'clock hits three, thought Izzy. But maybe this time Missy really meant it this time?

"After lunch we can like, walk t'class and talk 'bout t'boys that we like, wanna smash or ways t'get a lil more cash." Missy assured Izzy with a saccharine smile.

"After that I'll ignore your ass," Thought Izzy, remembering the last time Missy was this nice to her. But this promise of potential friendship and a new group of friends was kinda nice. Izzy followed Missy to the other side of the cafetieria, away from Dollface and Princess and Lilly.

Izzy sat next to Missy, being reintroduced to the posse.

A girl smiled at her. Izzy half-smiled back, recognizing her, but not really.

"How's it, like, workin' at Fazbear's?" Missy asked, "Like, what's t'pay like?"

"Not bad, we're really only there for promotionals at this point."

"Y'all got like, any openings?" Missy asked.

Izzy thought for a second, then said, "I'll have t'ask Henry, actually."

"Awesome. Like, how's Ben?" Missy asked, all the girls leaning into Izzy.

Izzy watched the new girl politely smile at her with something behind her purple eyes.

"Do ya ever get photos? Like, when you're out of costume?"

"Ugh, like, Trixie, I was gonna ask!"

"It's not like you'd get into Fazbear's, tubby!" Trixie snapped at the girl next to her.

"Look at her Trisha, if she got in, I can. I bet they'll even have an XXXL chicken suit fer you too!" Trisha and Trixie began to squabble louder about dresses and chicken suits as Izzy slumped over. The hassle, the fighting, they all want a bite of her, photos, more photos, they gossip about hoes that they don't know.

Izzy tried to avoid the gaze of the blonde in the sweater. She looked too young to be in here with them. Maybe she was a little sister?

"Oh, they like, talk shit though." Missy said, waving it off. She was trying to catch Izzy in her web again.

"I don't want no lunchbox friends, no, I want someone who understands" Izzy muttered darkly.

"What?" Missy asked. "How 'bout ya like, come t'my house tonight, like, let's all die together or somethin'."

"Friendship that would last forever," Izzy felt like something was wrong here. She glanced at the girl in the sweater with tight curls and green hair ribbons.

"Come to my house, like, let's all die together, our friendship will, like, last foreverrrrrr," Missy repeated.

"They want a fat ass in the brand new jeans, want a baby in the back with the man of their dreams," Izzy said, right in Missy's face, pieces being placed back together, "That isn't the life for me, I don't look like a darn Barbie."

Say what you want about Izzy, but she was going places, if not with Ben's rising business, it would be with her own, "Throw it on TV, people have high expectations of me. Wanna be my best friend then don't judge me if I work for my own money. You make no sense to me."

The little girl started humming a familiar tune, once played in the opera, now on a music box while twirling a lock of neon yellow in her fingers.

"The hassle, the fighting, they all want a bite of me, photos, more photos, they gossip about girls that they don't know." Izzy felt mild panic rise in her stomach.

No, sit here.

"Oh, they talk shit though." The little girl said, swinging her orange rubber rainbooted feet off the bench.

"I don't want no lunchbox friends, I want someone who understands, a friendship that would last forever," Izzy stated, feeling like a spider in a cage.

"Come t'my house, we'll have a friendship that would last forever." The little girl said, standing where she should be sitting in her oversized green and red sweater. "C'mon, let's die together."

Izzy stood, speechless as a yellow chicken with torn skin and dull, muddied colors chomped the girl on the head with its jaw full of metal teeth, and

lifted the body in the air and swallowed it whole like a snake in Izzy's henhouse eating a prize egg.

"Let's eat, bitch."


	13. Drama Club Rehearsals

"Okay girls, let's go!"

Princess nervously tried to hurry up her amp adjustments. Nothing seemed to work.

She started to panic as her brain stopped registering the numbers and words on the pawn shop mini Honey Tone.

"Princess, we need to get started, we can't have this." Henry repeated, Charlie giggling.

"It's okay sir, she just needs some time to get readjusted." Dollface assured him. Princess was relieved at Dollface speaking up for her. She continued to fumble with the amp. She knew how to play and sounded well enough, but set-up was always a nightmare.

"Princess, we only have a few more weeks of nonstop rehearsals, we need you to start hurrying." Henry said. Princess wanted to melt into her purple wedges and hide in her neon orange heart-breaker sweater, still fumbling with the resonance dial. The numbers looked like unitelligable squiggles now.

Ugh!

Why couldn't her brain just…

_WORK_?!

"Princess, if you don't start now, I'm sorry, there will be repercussions."

"Shut up!" Princess snapped loudly, pushing her pink glasses up her nose. "I am trying my best here!"

Henry gave her the 'Dad LookTM' and she glared back at him as he said, "You've been doing this all summer Princess, and I've tried to be patient, but there's no excuse for this!"

She growled and looked at the other girls on stage, Dollface in her new

white boots and Izzy in her orange pumps and said, "Everyone is so soft, everyone is so sensitive. Do I offend you? You are hanging onto my sentences."

Someone was behind Henry, someone so familiar with his lank indigo hair and striped sweater. She didn't care, or notice. Henry watched her jump from the stage and onto the tile floor of the rehearsal room, wedges clacking loudly in front of him, child with blue-violet hair forgotten. "You can keep your costume and you can keep your mask, I will take a bow, so you can kiss my ass!"

She shouted loudly, placing her pawn shop y-shaped guitar onto the stage behind her, "I never signed up for your drama club!"

Henry tried to grab the ballerina princess turned bunny girl in her crown, but she was too angry to let the stressed father even touch a single blue hair on her head as she looked around him, still seeing the little boy in green and red, "They try to feed you lines that you have to memorize, you always hide behind your Wizard of Oz disguise!"

Princess grabbed his collar, so tired of being told to hurry up and act like an adult, especially in front of her mother or a crowd, "Do you even have a brain? You are sticking to a page, you are faking all your pain but you are bleeding on a stage!"

"Princess, get back on stage. If you want to quit, that's fine, but just

stick around for the opening!" Henry said as she let go of his collar. Charlie giggled, seeing the weird girl who sometimes cared for her her at a family daycare turning red.

"Eye trick! Eye trick!" She screamed in happiness.

Princess ignored Charlotte's yells, going on with another shout of, "I never signed up for your drama club, I was suckered into it!"

She just wanted to scream everything at Henry, missing how he used to be so much more patient and understanding. Was going corporate what took away the guy who would talk softly to robots after it took their costumes for modifications?

"I do not want to be an actress, living by a script! Who cares about practicing? I don't give a shit!" She complained loudly, pacing in her boot cut jeans with a huff, adding, "You are over-analyzing every word I say, there is a whole world out there, but you are making us live a play!"

Henry was gaping now, not even angry. Henry wasn't really an angry man anyway, more just oblivious and stubborn. The kid continued to smile widely, unnaturally wide as Princess strutted with another complaint, "Screw your auditorium, I think it is pretty boring and I never signed up for your drama club!"

She stopped, seeing the hulking lilac figure of a rotting rabbit with fangs stagger behind the striped boy, fur matching hair.

It's red eyes seared into her green ones, and she found herself, once again, speechless. It's jaws distended, completely unhinged and ripped the boy from where he stood, child screaming madly then falling silent as he effortlessly slipped down the throat of a twisted monster as it slobbered contently, completely limp.

"Hey Princess, you okay?" Dollface nudged her.

"What?" Princess asked meekly, staring at the toes of her ankle booties.

"You've been standin' here for a few minutes, need any help?"

"No, no, I am fine. It is fine." Princess assured herself. Just get through the next few rehearsals and don't freak out on Halloween night. You got this, right?


	14. Good Night Monsters

Springtrap stretched, William having been satisfied for the night. A shadow bear, the beginnings of a physical phantom forming, trickled at the edge of his sight. He tossed a bone at her.

Yes, the bear was a her.

She was too perfect to hurt, but not perfect enough that she couldn't be home for new life, so Wlliam had set her up for tumbling maggots and mating flies and dead rats to gnaw at her bones and tear into her flesh.

Freddy was a good girl, even if she had let them escape.

Escape complex, huh?

He tramped down a hallway of arcade machines and ducked into a room full of long tables. Soon, they'd be on stage, and soon, he could take them. They didn't deserve to be perfect. No, they were unclean. That's why Maggie hadn't been allowed that pleasure.

Or the other one, in fact.

Then again, William didn't like girls like Maggie. And he especially didn't like them around his boys. His eldest was perfect because William had saved him from sin by making the boy home to life while Maggie was left an unfertile shell on a tangle of wires.

Springtrap studied the vent openings. They could be closed off inside the vents to prevent customers from cheating, which the newest victim had used to William's disadvantage.

It was almost six a.m, and while the new corporate had bought the free roam bullshit William had fed past guards, including the voice on the phone systems, he would soon have to return to sleep and wherever his programming

took him...

_...Vincinté Esteban Julió Ricardo Montoya de la Rosa Ramírez-Afton the III (Vinnie to most, and also, there weren't two others, his mother was very traditional, and his father wanted 'The Third' tacked on because it sounded_ _more important that way and it helped balance the mouthful out better,) was tired of Maggie._ _She wouldn't leave him alone in life, and once in death, she became insufferable. Mangle was clingy and loud, never letting Foxy have his not quite resting peace. One time, when they were alive, she'd found out he'd invited the smallest Fazbear Girl, the pirate one, to the corner store for sodas and Maggie hadn't let him forget it in her I-don't-care-but-I-am-hella-jealous-so-never-do-it-again-if-you-want-all-your-internal-organs-to-stay-internal-and-also-I-don't-care-at-all way of hers.__He'd let her tag along, since his dad seemed to need Maggie around for stuff, and Vinnie did feel sorry for her, as she was growing up the oldest as the only motivated person in a pile of mix and match kids with a bunny-rabbit of a trashy entitled mother who never worked a day in her life, but he had a feeling that the second she lost this job she'd just repeat the cycle. So Vinnie let her hang around, and was still his class clown self, but with a distance from her._ _Now, back to that girl Vinnie had asked on a date…_

...Logan unlocked the door of the newest attraction. He wandered over to the janitor's closet hidden down the halls and unlocked that door too. He pulled his greasy glasses and wiped them with a rag.

That's better.

Logan may be a slob, but his equipment was always ready for use, even in the painfully early morning.

He flipped a switch and poured water into a yellow mop bucket with a hose. He placed the hose back and drowned his mop in the sudsy water, whistling a half-remembered tune about troubadours and bull fighters.

Logan trundled the bucket, having to work day crew and opening shift, even before the location was ready for customers.

Apparently, Fazbear Entertainment went to corporate real fast after rumored accidents.

He didn't care much, he wasn't paid enough to.

He slopped his mop onto the floor, splashing up onto his black sneakers. Sometimes, at the end of the day, his purple coverall legs would be soaked, but he still enjoyed his new job as dayshifter and morning crew.

The building was too new though, the construction crews had been rushed in two months time, and Logan was under the impression that it was to shoddy to stand, even buried in the fake aging and added atmospheric grunge. Still, he mopped at the checkered linoleum.

He rolled his mop station into the next room after placing a yellow sign and smelled a foul stench.

Not again!

Every damn night since that new 'bot had shown up this room stank, and the office was always trashed. Logan made a note to also ask his boss to put down rat traps and fly paper. It wouldn't hurt anyone either, because this

place wasn't opening for another three weeks. They had time for God's Sakes!

He dropped the mop onto the floor over a ghost of a stain, shooing flies from his doughy face. Logan could hear the rats that had arrived, growing fat on something.

Probably not pizza, they wouldn't be bringing in the restaurant element in until a week before opening. He didn't care enough to know though. It was his job to keep the place clean and free of pests, before and after opening.

And he'd be damned if he wasn't good at it!

He set down the slippery when wet sign and trundled to the next room to tidy the office of trash because those assholes hired for nightshift couldn't keep one thing clean.


	15. Nurse's Office

Wolfie raised her hand in second period English Lit. to get Miss Simeon's attention.

"Yes, Miss Sanchéz?" She said it with an edge, interrupted during the chapter where Piggy gets murdered by that dickhead Roger.

"May I use t'restroom?"

"And what did I say about that privilege?"

"But it's an emergency!" Wolfie looked around the room, feeling the pain of her guts shedding. She knew it was gonna happen today, why didn't she prepare?

"That is not a reasonable response." Miss Simeon turned to the black board.

"Ma'am?" Wolfie said loudly. Kids looked up from desk doodling and snoozing, "Don't cut me, punch me, just let me go, into the nurse's office where I'll float away."

"And why should I?"

Wolfie gulped, not wanting to say her reasons as her stomach cramped intolerably, "I'm pale as the loose-leaf paper."

"That's not a reason," miss Simeon replied, already turning away.

"I'm coughin', I'm bleedin', and band aids definitely won't heal it." Wolfie let out a harsh cough to punctuate her point, back spasming, "'Cause they hate me, but I'm not fakin'."

"And what do you want me to do about this?"

"Take me home," Wolfie stood, chair scraping loudly onto the school's standard grey tiles, "Gimme that pink slip of permission."

"I'm tired of wishin' I was ditchin'." She said to herself in her head.

Miss Simeon glared, and Wolfie sat again, silent. She squealed, then felt something tug on her dark hair. She raised her hand again, knowing what Prissy Missy's 'best friend' was doing.

"Teacher, can I sit right there?" She pointed at the desk in the corner reserved for idiots who can't sit still.

"Why should I?"

"The girl behind me is cuttin' my hair."

"No, just sit your butt down, at the chalkboard you'll stare," Miss Simeon added blandly, "It's for your own good."

Wolfie pretended to shake uncontrollably and then rolled her eyes in a mocking manner once the teacher turned around.

"Yeah, I'm coughing, I'm bleeding, band aids won't heal it, 'cause they hate me, so I'm fakin'." She muttered darkly to herself, genuinely wishing she could go to the nurse's office for ibuprofen or a hot water bottle. "All this so they would take me home!"

She glared at Miss Simeon's turned back. Wolfoe could care less about Piggy and whoever else, "Gimme that pink slip of permission!"

"This is old, I'm tired of wishing I was ditching! Take me home, give me that pink slip of permission!"

"Another hour of detention young lady! At this rate, you'll spend the entire weekend in here!"

Wolfie burned as the class laughed, stomach feeling like it was being ripped open because technically it was.


	16. Food Court

"Hey guys!" Dollface waved to Princess and Lilly. They looked at each other, shrugged, then sat at the empty table where Dolface had perched herself. Dollface smiled widely, happy to have some company.

"Where is everybody?"

"Well," Dolface said, thinking so she could answer Princess's question, "Dolli Mae and Wolfie started eating over there," She pointed, "And Izzy started hanging around the library again."

"Well, what about Thorne and Wolfie?" Lilly asked.

"They're freshmen this year, so they get a different lunch." Dollface explained.

"So, you've just been sitting alone all September?"

"Not all September Lilly. Yesterday, Wolfie and Dolli Mae sat with me."

"Oh wow…" Lilly said, brow furrowed. "I'm sorry Dollface, we didn't realize that."

"It's fiiiiine!" Dollface said, pulling a sandwich out of her officially licensed Bendy the Dancing Demon lunchbox. After the abandoned studio broke down, Elmore had tried to rebuild its only historic claim to fame and renewed copyright for tourism. It hadn't caught on yet, but local officials had a feeling it would soon.

Dollface took a bite bite of leftover roast beef sandwich. Princess pulled out her thermos of homemade vegan soup and began to slurp some of the veggie broth before digging in with a spoon.

"Did ya know t'plural of beef is 'beeves'?" Dollface blurted with a grin.

Lilly looked mildly offended and said, "Run that past me again?"

Dollface repeated the new word as Lilly patted her painted mouth with a napkin.

"Beeves?" she said, thinking tgrough the word, "Who would ever hear of such a thing?"

She took a bite of her pasty. Pasties were like dumplings but bigger and filled with beef stew.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Princess asked.

"Yeah, me too." Dollface said, "And like, did ya know that chameleons don't like the color red either!"

"But red is such a nice color!" Princess protested around soy protein substitute.

The girls continued to talk about weird things, and eventually stopped to think and eat in silence, nothing left to say.

Because they did have anything left now.


	17. Alphabet Boy

Dollface scribbled in her sketchbook during study hall. She was _supposed_ to be doing homework, but she'd already finished and turned the sheets of paper in for a grade. Hopefully, a good one, oops! She stood up and brushed her overall skirt to free it of crumbs and skipped to the front of the classroom to sharpen her pencil. She glanced at the clock.

Ten minutes before the bell would ring and they'd be free for the day. Dollface smiled, excited for tonight's rehearsals to begin. They were gonna do something special on Halloween near the Big City's mall.

She skipped back to her seat. Dollface sat, pencil poised to finish her sketch, then hovered midair at the message written over it.

'_Hey sugartits_!' Dollface cringed and turned around to Bobby Miller sitting like a fool in the desk behind hers and glared with smoldering black eyes.

Bobby Miller smiled and wiggled his eyebrows back at her. Dollface pulled the page from her book and pointedly ripped it loudly, giving up on her latest creation. He smirked and snickered as she dropped the two halves to the gray tile floor. Dollface turned around to hunch over a new drawing and felt a snap as Bobby Miller pulled the back of her sports bra and pinged it onto her back.

"OW!" she yelled, turning in her chair as the silent class looked up at them, "Would you just quit already?"

Bobby Miller fell back into his chair, mean laughter in his hazel eyes.

"You're always aimin' paper airplanes at me, leavin' rude notes, and makin' fun o'me. And when I was in eight grade ya started t'pull this crap!" Finally done with Bobby Miller the principal's son's bullcrap, Dollface spat out, "And if I deck ya, don't be surprised!"

He laughed, knowing Dollface was never gonna do it. And his father, the principal of the school, would let him get away with it whenever things went too far. The class joined him in a racious chorus, or maybe they were laughing at him. Dollface couldn't tell, never one for reading social cues.

She turned back to her page once the laughter died down, black eyes angry. Ms. Morgandorfer was still out of the room, leaving the group of kids to their own devices.

Dollface scribbled in a construction line to start on a torso, then felt another pang as the back strap on her sports bra was snapped back. She turned around and gave Bobby Miller a bloody nose that sent him to the nurse's office for the last five or so minutes of class, and her to the principal's office to be told that 'Boys will be Boys'.

Grampa had looked at his granddaughter when he picked her up later after detention long after everyone had gone home that day and said, "You have my permission t'do it again to that entitled dummkopf."


	18. Detention

Wolfie sniffed in the silent classroom during a Wednesday detention hour. Just another half hour or so, and she could make up for the lost two hours of her life running in the streets. At least she wouldn't have to go to Youth Group tonight.

Mr. Emsworth, a science teacher from the Big City hired last year who sat behind the desk looked up at Marnie, the girl in the front of the classroom working on homework.

Wolfie looked over to Dollface, who claimed that 'Mr. Emsworth is kinda creepy,' sit at a desk in the back of the room drawing spider-rabbits.

Mr. Emsworth was well enough in Wolfie's opinion. A lot of the girls were excited about an attractive and fairly new teacher, but Wolfie and Dollface, never understanding the hype, felt unnerved around him, especially during his long lectures.

Dolli Mae and Princess, both in AP Biology and other science-related honors courses, enjoyed how educated he was, even to the point where he'd just repeat lectures from real colleges to his classes.

There were only two main classrooms for each subject in the whole school, and they were all intermingled, seniors down to freshmen entangled with each other.

Wolfie ignored it and tried to sit still like Marnie, this being the third detention of the week. Anymore and she'd have to stay for weekend detention.

Miss Simeon was so unfair!

Wolfie had gotten another detention slip when she finally stood in her chair to leave class for third block the other day, blood running down her legs and dripping through her pants to pool into the cheap plastic chair because she hadn't realized her period was starting until after it was too late and she climbed onto the bus.

The kid in the striped sweater stood next to her again and tapped her hunched shoulder.

They watched her narrow face as she tried to readjust to the bright lights of the room then pointed at where Mr. Emsworth was hunched over Marnie and her work.

Marnie was such a goody two-shoes.

Why would this little brat care if Wolfie was watching them?

They blinked their empty eyes at her, tear stream scars running down hollow cheeks as their red lips stayed neutral.

"Piss off." Wolfie hunched back over and tried to sleep, using her long, boney arms to block out the light. The entity tapped her, and when she raised her head again, they grabbed her arm and pulled.

Wolfie watched Marnie, the perfect student and ultimate teacher's pet look up at him as he stood over her. If Wolfie blinked, she wouldn't have caught the teacher giving his eyes to a student.

No, wait, seemingly every girl had a crush on him, maybe Marnie was just looking at him. But Wolfie could've sworn he'd returned the look and she'd bitten her lip back to him. Wolfie started to notice chew marks on Marnie's pen, and then how gross and chomped the pink nails were.

Mr. Emsworth stood and walked to sit back behind his desk.

The child tugged on Wolfie's sleeve, then pulled her harder with unusually long fingers, sharp, tapered nails unintentionally digging into her skin.

"...Chewing on her nails and her pens, while she's dreaming of him…" She muttered to herself as she noticed Marnie's notebook cover hanging from her drooping backpack. "And he's playing with sin…"

Something genderless, voiceless, inhuman whispered to Wolfie, "You know he is."

No, it could mean anything! A lot of girls developed little crushes on teachers, even perfect little Marnie and her ironed shirts and neat pencil case. Seriously, the girl was worse than Dollface when it came to the obsessive organizing habits. She even had a hard case with a zipper and slots for pencils organized by wear and softness!

Wolfie stood, chair grating on the checked tiles unnoticed by anyone in the room and tiptoed to Marnie. She leaned over her work. This wasn't like Marnie, every question was clearly wrong, enough for Wolfie who rarely paid attention to know that.

It was almost as if on purpose, like Marnie was dumbing herself down for afterschool help.

"Hey, Mr. Emsworth, are ya still gonna help me get home t'day?"

"Why yes Marnie, I never back down on a promise." Wolfie felt a shiver crawl up her spine at Mr. Emsworth's overly slick remark. Was this like, a normal thing for teachers to do? Was he just being polite?

The child stood over Marnie on the other side and cocked their head. They raised their creepy looking hands and forced Marnie up without laying a finger onto her little blonde head.

Complete with hair bow, yuck!

"It's for all the right reasons baby, don't care 'bout grades, just call me your lady. If I pass this quiz will you give me your babies?"

Mr. Emsworth looked up and smiled greasily at Marnie, and said, "We'll see."

Don't call me crazy, Thought Wolfie, but somethin's up.

"Ya love me, but ya won't come save me, ya got a wife and kids an' you see 'em daily." Marnie whispered, blue eyes cavernous and hollow. "I don't know why you even need me."

"She's feeling like a spider in a cage," Wolfie said, pieces together as she ripped the notebook away from the bag it was falling from. She flipped through the battered book, seeing it was a diary instead of a school notepad with doodles in the margines. This had started last year, she skimmed. Ew, he said what to her now?

olfie slapped it back on the desk next to Marnie, chewing on her pen, presumably dreaming of him. Wolfie stalked to Mr. Emsworth and looked at the pictures lined up on the desk of his wife and two kids. Wolfie saw them fairly often, small town, small world and all. They seemed oblivious to this shit.

"Y'know, she could be making this up, right?" Wolfie hissed to stripey. Stripes just watched a drawer. "Don't you ever talk when ya need to?"

It was like dealing with a cat, or Princess before she started dancing with the now very dead Raina for therapy.

Wolfie sighed and crouched down to the low desk drawer and pulled it out.

"Oh sweet lord…" Wolfie, rebellious but still a Baptist minister's daughter started to move her right hand over her chest seeing the pictures of unassuming Marnie spilling from a folder. Marnie didn't seem like she would…

Wolfie pulled out the folder and shuffled through. Marnie even signed them. Oh no…..

And under that was another file, one with a different girl Wolfie had never seen before, and under that? Another just like it.

Wolfie felt her chest heave and her heart race as a cold sweat took over, not from her period but from her discovery. She stood and leaned into Mr. Hutson's ear. "You liar, you were her desire, but now she wants to light you on fire!" Marnie looked up at Mr. Emsworth and smiled. He returned it, making the unnoticed Wolfie want to puke all over him.

"But screw it, she'll still give you a call and a lighter when you wanna get hotter and mess around 'til you get numb." Spat Wolfie with all the anger in the world on her venomous lips as she stood. The child nodded.

Wolfie sat back at her desk, watching the child put a finger to her thin lips and nod in silent command. Wolfie nervously nodded, feeling the kid's finger on her face and looked at Marnie, then scribbled a note.

Hey, can you meet me in the bathroom real quick?

She passed it to her, hands shaking.

Marnie smiled and nodded, then asked Mr. Emsworth. He complied, of course, and she skipped away like a happy goat, lovesick smile on her heart-shaped face. Ten minutes ago, Wolfie would've audibly gagged, but now, she was on a mission.

"Hey teach, I need t'use it too, can I go?" Wolfie was released, and she suddenly feared for Dollface, only one left in the room with him. She gulped it down, remembering that Dollface was a survivor and really trooped through that horrifying summer night.


	19. Teacher's Pet

"Oh my gawd, you think Ewic's cute too!? It's fow all t'wight weasons, though," Marnie gushed at Wolfie the second she stepped into the bathroom, "I don't cawe 'bout gwades or anythin' like that!"

Wolfie looked Marnie up and down. "You really are an idiot for an A student, aren't ya?"

"What?" Marnie looked confused. She was obviously never told that in her life, disgusting babytalk and all.

"'JuST cAlL Me yOur LAdY'," Wolfie said mockingly, "iF I paSS THIs QUIz wIll YoU GiVE Me yOuR BABiEs?"

"What?" Marnie repeated, suddenly looking nervous as she dropped the babytalk completely, eyebrows knitting together, "Don't call me crazy!"

"I found it in this!" Wolfie held up the notebook limply as a loose paper fell to the grey tiles.

"You love me, but you won't come save me, you got a wife and kids, you see them daily. Don't know why you even need me" She recited from a random page.

Marnie scowled, "That's personal!"

"You're such a teacher's pet! If y'all'er so special, why are y'all a secret?" Wolfie hissed. "Yeah, why the hell is that?"

"I'm his one and only! He said so!" Marnie shouted. Wolfie clapped a hand over the flustered girl's mouth.

"No you ain't! An' I kin prove it too!" Wolfie hissed. "I been watchin' him, an' I kin bet, no, I KNOW that he has a whole drawer full o' other lil girls like you that fell for it!"

"No, you're lyin'!"

"Well, I'll prove it t'ya! But you gotta help me!"

"Hey, Eric?" Marnie called shakily from the hallway without her stupid babytalking as Wolfie walked into the classroom. She glanced at Dollface as Mr. Emsworth stood at his desk. Dollface could pass out anywhere at this point, sleep evaded her at night and she refused to take her pills. Dollface was too far away from Mr. Emsworth to get hurt. Mr. Emsworth looked like a Calvin Klein model that decided to be a teacher and have three perfect blond kids with his perfect blonde wife.

"Eric, I think I need t'talk t'ya in private?" Wolfie sat in her desk, watching Mr. Emsworth stand up all to eagerly and walk to the doorway to meet Marnie. Atleast Wolfie's plan to just say it was for trust worked. Now to see how well Marnie would hold up on her end of the deal.

"I don't think this could last, but don't leave me here, please?" Marnie begged to Mr. Emsworth as Wolfie scurried to the desk. She fumbled with the drawer handle.

"Marnie, I would never leave you," He comforted as Wolfie realized she'd need a key.

"Do ya..." Marnie said with a pause, "Do ya ever regret t'things we share that I'll never forget?"

A pause as Wolfie found the key in a different compartment and jiggled it in the drawer with a nervous lump in her throat. This was for all those missing kids they'd found that fateful night last summer.

"Well, do ya?" Marnie said, sounding like she could cry, "Please, just tell me that."

Mr. Emsworth said something too quiet to hear, then they stopped. Wolfie knew what was happening outside, but she had to just- Got it!

Wolfie pulled out the three files and ran to Marnie's desk.

"I know I'm young, but my mind is well beyond my years," Marnie said breathlessly, "Just like ya tell me…"

Yeah, they definitely had a passionate kiss in the school hallway. Wolfie shivered and quickly rifled through Marnie's bag. A bracelet for someone's fifteenth birthday, including a signed note in the velvet box? Score!

"If I'm so special, why am I a secret, Eric?"

Another long pause as Wolfie scrambled to her seat, stuffing the jewelry box, journal and folders that they would later find included promotional pictures of the Fazbear Girls into her backpack and sat, trying not to pant or give anything away as she listened to the last scraps of a forbidden conversation floating by.

"Gimme back my money, I didn't learn a damn thing, honey, from you, except how to lie and cheat while inside the sheets!" Marnie's voice suddenly raised as Dollface woke up with genuine fear in her black eyes. "Stop callin' me 'your bunny'!"

Wolfie grabbed her pencil and hoped she looked as inconspicuous as possible.

"I won't hop and you don't own me, now do you? I bet you think you do!" Marnie shouted. Wolfie snapped her pencil in the tense atmosphere and gave herself a splinter, "Well, ya don't!"

And soon they were released, and Wolfie was giving Marnie a piggy-back ride to the two-person police station on her roller blades.


	20. Pointless Inturruptions

Vinnie had felt like a fish out of water in Elmore, especially considering he was easily the darkest person there, among the German-Irish population of the small town. Also, California, namely the LA area with frequent visits from relatives he took after, was very different from the little Germanic town the Afton family had found themselves in for business. They'd gone from the average family to one that had begun to move up the ladder thanks to Henry's sudden interest in animatronics and Vinnie's father in pizzarias.

Vinnie walked down the hall after watching the Fazbear Girls horse around in one of the main party rooms, including the smallest one, Dolli Mae yelling, "Back at it again at Krispy Kreme!"

And doing several flips and cartwheels with surprising accuracy, landing on her booted feet.

That had impressed Vinnie, making her a center of vague interest.

He toted his boots, brown ones with an inch of heel that clacked loudly on every surface. The ballerina, Bonnie, had told him about a dance studio that was usually open and empty, even giving him directions.

"Hey Vin!"

He ducked into the parts and storage room to see his dad, much paler than him, hold up a red blanket. No wait, that was a suit piece.

"Yes Papá?"

"Yeah, uh, I need help with this costume piece here." William held up the costume torso and walked past Vinnie. Vinnie trotted behind his dad.

"What exactly happened to Mom?" Vinnie asked, still not sure if he bought the story he was told back in March.

"She went back home like she was going to before meeting me in college and getting married over here in the states after that freak accident with your little brother."

"And what happened to my sister?" Vinnie questioned, tugging on his red IZOD polo. Dad always told him she went with Madre after his little brother died.

He found himself in an empty room that smelled like dead rats left under a porch in July. Vinnie wrinkled his nose and set his dance shoes on the small work table, feeling like he should leave.

When his father didn't answer his question, Vinnie grabbed his boots to leave, "Look, I gotta run, man."

William put a hand up on his son's chest and pushed Vinnie back to him. "Only take a second kiddo, slow your roll a little bit."

Vinnie shivered, feeling like something was wrong, "Dad, I'm fifteen, I have things to do right now. I can do it later, por favor?"

"Don't disrespect me, young man."

Vinnie gulped and ruffled his black locks of curly hair, not comfortable with William's tone as his brown eyes searched the room. William held up the red costume pieces folded one the table.

"Need someone in these for something. It's on the smaller side, so I think it would fit."

"Why do you need me to put these on, exactly?"

"Cause. You might need to wear a mascot suit in case Dolli Mae is sick or the animatronic breaks down again."

"Oooookay?" Vinnie said. He grabbed the torso and the head, and said, "It's nice to see you out of the rabbit costume though."

Then he pulled on the legs and sleeves. He put his arms out and asked, "There, you happy now?"

Unusually crabby because Maggie had chewed him out for no explainable reason, Vinnie started to pull the head off to toss it back onto the worktable so he could escape the horrible smell that seemed to permeate every Fazbear's resturaunt his father opened. Anyway, Abuelita would kill him if she found out he hadn't been making an effort to practice. He wasn't particularily good at contact sports and other than track and field, everything bored Vinnie, so dancing was what he did best.

"No, wait," William's voice floated behind Vinnie's ear in a blast of an overpowering men's body spray picked up from their last visit to Mom's family in Mexico and breath mints from a gas station on the edge of town. Dad brought an extra suitcase every time they went to Abuelita and Abuelo's house just to bring more home to California.

Vinnie was thrown from his feet by a sharp crack to his lower back with a scream as William slammed his fist into his son's back.

He fell headlong, and tried to crawl to the door on his elbows, feeling metal fangs slice into his organs and rip his face open as his guts started to spill into the quickly filling cavity of the suit. The metal shot into Vinnie's rib cage and cracked them open as blood poured hot and iron-y from his mouth. He tried to pull forwards, legs severed and leaving a smearing trail. A rod shot through his neck, blood increasing like a red guiser.

"Now where are you going?" William slammed Vinnie's face onto the tiles as he seized with his foot. He ground in the spritely teen boy's face into the suit head and the checkered tiles. Vinnie couldn't even utter anything but yells of agony as he lay on the floor, guts spilling out into the suit to be encased by hydraulics and wires.

William stood over the animatronic, still crackling and popping form the springlocks, twitching from the pure force of a snapping trap. Vinnie was his, and anything that was his had to be perfect.

Vinnie would finally have the honor of holding life.

He looked at his son's boots and picked one up to inspect.

Vinnie had been pretty good at his cousin's quinceanera, but still, no girlfriend to dance with. That was fine by William. Vinnie didn't need a girlfriend, he needed to be perfect. Now he had to hide them.

Maybe…..

In the toy box or a trunk full of spare parts like eyes? Or should he just throw them into the nearby river?

William would figure it out.

He always did.

Where else could his traditional wife from another land with her small army of expensive and nosey relatives who knew too much without knowing anything have gone but the LA river?


	21. Let's Corrupt the Cinnabun

Wolfie snored on the bus, heavy amounts of eyeliner just waiting to get smudged after she escaped into the bathroom at school to put it on. Her parents hated makeup unless it was light and fluffy like Dollface's. She fell onto Dolli Mae, who never really minded. Wolfie just need a few extra zees, and Dolli Mae was a good pillow, if a little hard from years of physical training. Dolli Mae liked to work out a lot.

Didn't matter what, just work out.

Wolfie tried to roll over because someone in the aisle touched her.

They touched her again, and she snorted once more.

Once more, then she snarled, "Piss off."

"Wolfie, it's me."

Wolfie opened one icey blue eye then the other. Seeing it was just Marnie, she grunted out,"My case stands. Piss off."

"Wolfie!" Marnie grabbed her arm, "I don't wanna sit alone again!"

Wolfie was wrenched from her slumber and onto the dirty bus floor, dragged through the tight aisle. Marnie jumped into an empty seat in the very back and smiled in her green hair ribbons. "You aren't wearin' any eyeliner t'day!"

"I will when we get there." Wolfie growled. She peeled Marnie's fluffy pink skirt away from her, but a bump in the road made it plop right back into her lap. She gritted her teeth.

Marnie and Dollface would get along perfectly, thought Wolfie, Except Dollface would rip Marnie a new one in the first fifteen minutes in order to do so.

Marnie blattered about whatever as if the other day didn't happen, like the long evening at the police station and Mr. Emsworth and all that craziness.

"I could help ya with your homewowk, if ya like!"

"Why?" Wolfie rolled her eyes and tried to stand at the next stop, but Marnie tugged on her arm. She couldn't stand Marnie's random waves of babytalk.

"Cause ya compwained a little while ago that ya've already gotten an F!"

Wolfie glared, not appreciating Marnie's calling out. Marnie pulled out her phone, pink case with bunnies plastered all over it from Clair's sparkling in the light filtering in through the dirty glass bus window.

"What's ya numbew?"

Wolfie internally celebrated because she'd left her beaten phone at home, "Nope, I'm good."

"Can ya come over dis weekend?" Marnie asked, cute voice in maximum overdrive.

"Rehearsals."

"Tomowwow evenin'?"

"Rehearsals."

"Wehearsals for what?" Marnie asked, cocking her head. Was she really that dumb?

"Nunya." Wolfie smiled, finally seeing an opening for a joke she hadn't told since fifth grade.

"Nunya what?"

"Nunya business." Wolfie said smugly, crossing her long, boney arms in triumph as Marnie's face crumpled up.

"I should'a known you'd be mean." She said in a high-pitched, quivery voice, "You hang out with Dollface an' Izzy!"

"Wait, what?" Wolfie said, nose wrinkling, smug look wiped off like a pat of butter on a hot pan. "Dollface and Izzy are t'nicest I know."

"Weally?"

Wolfie stunted a groan in her throat, "Yeah, they're awesome."

"What about Pwincess?"

"Oh, you have so much to learn. Wanna hang out Friday night?"


	22. Graffiti and Creeps

Principal Miller shuffled the papers.

A teacher was out of a job and his son had a broken nose.

So it wasn't broken.

But Mrs. Miller had insisted it was.

And Bobby Miller was just being a boy, nothing more, nothing less, and what was wrong with that?

Dollface Cowatch had overreacted, so what if Bobby had been doing it since eighth grade and did it to other girls, including Princess, Lilly, Dolli Mae, and so many, many more?

Principal Miller looked at his computer at the files all lined up for the courtroom.

All arranged and lined up, and so was the substitute for the Thursday morning...

...Fourth period gym.

Next up would be third shift lunch, oh boy.

Dollface groaned and fell against the lockers on the hard concrete bench attached to the wall. She twisted around to her padlock and soon pulled open the small square door to grab her jeans. She looked disheveled without makeup or nice clothes. She'd just thrown on jeans and an old t-shirt and swiped on liner and mascara, not even bothering with concealer or brows.

She slipped on the jeans, tossing her black shorts into the tiny locker, ignoring Missy's titters and tweets as she slipped her sport shorts over Victoria's Secret panties that Gramma would kill Dollface to even lay her eyes on...

"Yo, hold this." Wolfie tossed her bag to Marnie. She pulled out her white respirator mask that she'd modded out with sharpied fangs in a toothy grin and snapped it over her face. Haddonfield Hank's never failed her, and hopefully it wouldn't anytime yet.

"What are ya doin'?" Marnie hissed, dropping the babytalk. "We need t'get t'math!"

"Nah, this is more fun, and since Dolli Mae is coming a little late, you can help," Wolfie shuffled around in her ratty black bag, "Here!"

She shoved a plain white mask to Marnie, "And ditch the pigtails!"

"What? NO!"

Wolfie clapped a hand over Marnie's glitter-glossed mouth as the bag was dropped. Marnie took the white mask from Wolfie in her shimmer manicured hands and tentatively pulled it over her face.

"Oh, a newbie, rad." Dolli Mae turned the corner. "Sorry I'm late, had t'make sure everything was together. Passes an' all."

Wolfie felt her heart skip a little bitty bit as Dolli Mae added with, "Really, we need t'stop meetin' like this, Harold'll get suspicious!"

Wolfie laughed with Dolli Mae as Marnie backed away.

"C'mon Marnie, it'll be fine!" Wolfie assured, "We have an agreement with t'art teacher!"

"Weally?" Marnie was back on her babytalk.

"Yeah," Dolli Mae said, "She gives us a new canvas on this wall every week, and we give her a whole new art portfolio for classes."

Marnie looked at them skeptically, "I don' bewieve you."

"Well, believe it." Wolfie said, "Remember all t'pictures on the walls of t'art room?"

"That was you?"

Dolli Mae smiled and gave a curt nod, pulling her hair up in a bun and slapping a scrunchy over it. "We gotta be quiet, she'd t'only one who knows, and we can't git caught."

"Why?"

"Game over, dude," Wolfie said, "Ain't fun after that."

"But, wouldn't it make it easiew?" Marnie said, dodging Dolli Mae. Dolli Mae still managed to catch her and ripped the green ribbons from the blonde ringlets. She pulled Marnie's hair into a cheerleader ponytail, or as good of one as she could, and released the taller girl, flyaways and all.

"That's not cute!" Marnie patted at her overly gelled and styled hair forced into a new 'do with panic in her muffled voice.

"Chill!" Wolfie grumbled with a hidden ferocity, "Just do it!"

"Why?!"

"You wanted t'hang, didn'cha?" Wolfie squawked, "Atleast hand us the spray

paints, jeez!"

...Izzy looked in the mirror at herself before the bell rang.

Stupid Bobby Miller had put his arm around her waist and surrounded them with his knuckle-headed friends and called her his girlfriend, then slapped her ass.

Annoyed, she hit him, then watched as he approached Princess claiming he could cure her of her 'silly' ideas.

So Princess went en Pointe in her sneakers and cold-cocked him ballet style

in the jaw with a yell, grabbing Izzy's hand.

Izzy had ducked away into the bathroom, feeling stupid again. She wished she could just…

She didn't know what she wanted to do, and she couldn't use her gift of immeasurable strength.

She sighed, shoulders falling.

This was stupid...

...Princess sat in her seat and glowered at the screen of the chromebook.

Bobby Miller hadn't left her or her girlfriend alone the other day. She didn't want to go into details, he was such a perv. He even tried to turn them into his personal harem at some point.

Princess glared at the math problem, feeling sleepy...

"'Kay dude, grab the pink!" Marnie slapped the can of hot pink into Wolfie's hand and she sprayed the saturated shade across the brick wall already covered in neon colors, forming the electric wolf.

Pink, purple, and blue, with burning lime green eyes. Wolfie watched Dolli Mae grab the end of the stencil they'd made and peeled it away to allow the design to breathe. Marnie looked at it in wonder at how crisp the layers of stencils were, creating a living, breathing piece of art.

Dolli Mae sat down on the grass, yellow cardigan wrapped around her broad shoulders tightly. She patted the curb and Wolfie sat in her usual place.

Marnie pulled out the hair tie and tried to fix the tangled mess of hair spray and gel. She gave up. Maybe she could wash her hair in the sink?

"Hey, c'mon girie, sit wit' us." Dolli Mae said, hand outstretched to her other side. Marnie cautiously sat and pulled on her blouse and then the lacey hem. She looked like a doll, but not in the way Dollface tended to.

"Can you pwease tell me 'bout youw othew fwiends?"

"Okay," Wolfie said, "But fiwst, dwop the babytalk."


	23. Good Morning Blondie

Dollface sat in the corner of her room, makeup on the floor.

Would she even bother today?

It was early dawn, allowing the pallets of eyeshadow glittering in the rosey light. She listened to her breathing reverberate around inside the golden mask. Dollface rolled the eyeliner pen in her hands, blood dripping down her face. It had been a while since she had a nosebleed, and for some reason, she felt like something was wrong.

Like Dollface had lived this day before.

Her BH Festival pallet glowed in a neon sunset on it's cover, ferris wheel perfectly silhouetted in black.

Dollface didn't want to get up.

She didn't want to go to school, especially after yesterday's detention- how embarrassing!

Dollface still believed Bobby Miller deserved it, he was such an asshole!

Grampa, always a snoop and much less strict, had found out, and instead of take things away and ground her, had assured her that if it ever happened again, he'd be right there. Grampa had explained that Dollface's mother, Marion, had been so sheltered by Gramma, she didn't realize what was going on and why she shouldn't do what she did, naively creating Dollface.

Dollface had smiled and promised to pay back somehow, and Grampa just nodded, grabbing the morning newspaper to sit in his old red chair with Courage, their cowardly little mutt that yapped and whimpered at everything.

Anyway, back to the present, Dollface was just considering to ignore the makeup and let her usual facade of organization fall, dropping the liner on the bare wood floor. She clenched her jaw, unsure of what to do.

Maybe stop the bleeding before Uncle Sebbie showed up today?

Okay.

She staggered to her socked feet and stumbled to the door, unlocking it, half expecting a monster to jump out and tear her throat from inside the closet.

"What are ya doin' in that thing?"

Dollface turned emptily to her grandma, dark, hollow eye sockets watching Murial and her steaming mug. "I thought I asked ya not t'wear that thing anymore."

Dollface shrugged half-heartedly and walked into the bathroom, falling onto the porcelain lid of the toilet. Gramma rolled her eyes and shuffled away in her house slippers.

Dollface pulled off the bear's head and folded som toilet paper, snubbing it to her nose. It was soaked red as a rose.

"One, two, Freddy's comin' for you…." She grabbed a little more and tossed the soiled piece into the trash can, pinching a certain spot on her nose. "Three, four, better lock your door…."

Dollface stood and looked in the mirror over the sink, the sun barely rising over the land. The Cowatch's liked to wake up early, especially Dollface. She could hear Gramma clattering in the kitchen. She looked at her skin, pale and freckled.

"Five, six, grab a crucifix…" Dollface pulled her hand away, finding no more blood to spill, and bent into the sink to splash her face, trying hard not to soak her pink hair still bleeding dye. She couldn't wait to see her uncle today!

"Nine, ten-"

"Done yet?" Dollface looked up at her grandfather still in his robe. "I need t'shower and t'shave."

"Sorry." Dollface scooted around him, and scurried back into her bedroom to get ready...


	24. New Baby

"Get in the back, now."

"What?" Dollface asked, passenger door already open and ready for her. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of overpriced cigarettes. Weird, Uncle Sebbie said he never smoked.

"Just," Uncle Sebbie said, brow furrowing and pale hand reaching for the door, "Get in the back."

"Why?"

"You know what wren?" Sebbie said, English accent lightning as he pulled his driver side door open and stood, toweringly tall like an old tree. "How about you get changed, something nicer, and maybe help me with the luggage."

"Luggage, what?"

"Your sister's, of course."

"Sister? I don' got a sister." Dollface said, feeling a knot in her stomach.

"Of course you do." Uncle Sebbie knocked on the dark car's black window as he strode past in his suit. "I assumed you would have been briefed earlier. Apparently not."

Out of the passenger seat came a voice, crabby and English. And up stood a tall girl, maybe younger than Dollface with blue-black hair and shoulder pads. Dollface gulped, nearly passing out right there.

"I am so sorry." Dollface blinked, hearing her grandfather whisper in her ear softly in his old gruff voice, "I promise I'll take ya fishin' before church t'morrow."

The girl stepped out from behind the car with a sneer, long, kinky curly hair flared around her as she pouted her painted lips separated carefully around her cancer stick. Grampa coughed.

"Regina Phantomhive." she said with a sneer, like everyone should know who she was in a light, passively aggressive voice.

"I, uh- I, uh-" Grampa put a hand on Dollface's thin shoulder as she watched Regina puff a ring of smoke from her dangling cigarette and roll her eyes. Dollface stopped stuttering and gulped.

"Cowatch. Dollface Cowatch." Grampa answered for her. Regina reached out and touched Dollface's striped sweater and rubbed it between her fingers. "Are you really wearing that?"

Grampa narrowed his eyes at her.

"So." Regina said with careful disdain, attention on Grampa, "You're my grandfather?"

"Ja." He said sharply without a hint of emotion in his voice as he straightened. His hand stayed on Dollface's shoulder. Dollface watched her shoes, suddenly very interested as she tried not to let her nerves make her vomit.

Regina stomped a stiletto on the asphalt, dropping the ciggie butt to stomp out. Dollface looked at the white lace anklet socks on her new sister wearing the expensive gold suit jacket.

"Dollface, we will be helping Regina get prepared for her stay with you." Uncle Sebbie said, much to Dollface's rising panic, "And she will be needing help with a new wardrobe. As a native to this area, I hope you will help. It would be nice to get to know your sister better, right Regina?"

Regina blew a puff if smoke, "As long as Daddy pays for it."

Dollface couldn't take it anymore. She ran inside the house, not sure what else to do. The screen door banged behind her as she darted past Gramma and her yellow apron. With no where else to go, she darted into her room and slammed the white door shut.

Dollface fell against it, then dropped to the floor.

Hold it in, don't be silly. This isn't the worst ever. Besides, you decided to put on eyeshadow today. Like you do everyday. But still, why had no one bothered to tell Dollface, even as a joke?

Was this a joke?

The sweater was kinda silly, maybe.

But right now, Dollface needed to chill. She stepped over to her slatted closet and stood on her tippy-tippy-tippy toes and reached for the golden head. She placed it over hers and breathed in, falling to the floor of her closet, cramming herself in.

Dollface hooked her small fingers through a slat and pulled the door shut, closing her black almond eyes.

Someone knocked on the door, "Y'all decent?"

"Yes, Groẞmutter!" Dollface pulled the head off and opened the door with her foot, standing to place the head back on the shelf of the closet.

"Better not be rude t'yer sister now."

"Yeah," Dollface smiled, trying not to seem upset. An enemy was a friend you haven't made yet, afterall.

Gramma looked at her. "Better dress nicely."

She slipped over in the black rain boots to Dollface and pulled out a black turtleneck sweater handed it over. "Look good with jeans, girlie."

Dollface nodded, feeling some small portions of courage in her rising once again. "Yeah, okay."

Gramma shuffled out again, closing the bedroom door again. Dollface milled to the boudoir and bent to grab the handle to the pants drawer.

Once free and in the thrift store clothes, she called Izzy. Izzy was already gone at the market in the big city. Maybe she could get Uncle Sebbie to drop her off there and deal with Regina himself. She smiled, thinking of that and skipped outside.


	25. Falling Aprt to Half Time

Princess hummed flatly to herself as she entered the dance studio's lobby, ballet bag over her shoulder.

"Hello there!" Staci said from her desk over a People magazine. She was filling out a bunch of quizzes and flipping to the back of the magazine for the most desirable answers. Like the quiz to determine if she was 'Sexy or Sweet'.

Staci was trying to get Sexy.

Of course.

Princess waved, full lips curling shyly, then she continued to march to her usual room of mirrors. She snatched the lanyard and stepped down the hall of the studio, unlocking the door and twisting the stainless steel handle.

It squeaked open.

Princess blinked.

Who the hell was this guy?

A boy about her age stood in the center of the room dancing a very deliberate dance. He picked up his feet and stomped it back down, making a clack as he turned his head side to side like a security camera. Then he…

...Tap danced?

No, it was too physically demanding to be one. Princess watched him in silence, remembering him as the face on the wanted posters put up before that night in the maze of mechanical monsters.

Except his hair was bright red.

The boy's gold eyes finally fell on Princess in her ballet slippers and tide orange leg warmers and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Leaving Princess to wonder if she really had just seen him…

"That's the butler, not your stupid uncle."

Dollface tried not to let her smile waver. One more sound from the spoiled fourteen year old next to her and someone would get it. "Well, he's is an uncle t'me."

Regina rolled her dark eyes, set into her oval face. Dollface clenched a fist, watching her new found sister roll down the automatic window of Uncle Sebbie's car and light up again.

"Regina, please refrain."

"I do what I want, butler."

Sebastian white knuckled from where Dollface could see.

"So, Cowatch," Regina said, light voice focused again on her, not interested in the town they were finally leaving, "Are combat boots crusted with muck a staple with taffeta? Or is that just you?"

Dollface breathed in sharply, watching the girl stealing Princess D's look take a puff and blow it out the window. She couldn't say anything. "Where'd you go t'school?"

"St. Rupert's Private Girl's Academy." She said with an air of supieriority over her new found older sister. "And Daddy wants to send us both to St. Godiva's in California."

"What?" Dollface asked.

"Are you thick in the skull, sister?"

"Um, no, I just-"

"Daddy wants to send us to St. Godiva's Private Girl's Academy together." Regina said. "In. Cali. Forn. Ia."

Dollface gulped. She scratched her arms.

"Yes, I'm afraid that's why this is happening. Your father wanted you to get to know eachother. See each other's lives." Sebastian said, sounding strained, "And in November, which as you know is soon, he's hoping to transfer you two."

Dollface searched the car in a sudden panic. Was uncle Sebbie just playing a mean joke?

"Regina, we've hit the highway proper," Sebastian said, still sounding strained, "You need to put on your belt."

"Yes, butler." She said, and dropped the ciggie out the window, pushing a button.

"Aren't ya gonna put it on?"

Regina smirked. "No."

Dollface shifted, fiddling with the black belt. Time to earn some good brownie points, apparently. She reached over and snagged her finger on the belt, pulled it as far as in would go and buckled Regina in.

"Hey!" Regina shouted, poise gone, "Get off!"

Dollface glared, then laughed as Regina struggled with the unescapedable forces of child lock….


	26. A Very Happy Unbirthday

Izzy sighed, leaning against Ben in the forest. He shifted, letting her rest against him in the mid morning light as she watched the dewy sun play around the tall, slender trees, late frogs and bugs singing louder than the birds.

She was sooooooo sleepy.

Izzy's eyes snapped open when a branch snapped under the foot of something large and heavy.

"Hello?" She called out, "Hi?"

Nothing. She tried to nuzzle back in.

She snapped back up, away from sleeping Ben's green shirt when she thought she'd heard a lilting music box.

It was probably nothing. Izzy was just paranoid. Or tired. Probably both. Helping run a steam engine early in the morning did that.

Izzy stood anyway, forgetting her tiredness, still hearing the lilting tune.

A giant chicken covered in ivy greeted her as she followed an unseen before tiled path half-buried through years of abandonment as she walked down it. The chicken raised it's phunphur yellow arm and lifted a purple curtain with a rusted squeak, revealing a hole in the dirt mound on the side of the forested hill.

"My friends don't walk, they run, they skinny dip in rabbit holes for fun." The chicken squealed with a muffled groan, "Popping, popping balloons with guns, getting high off helium."

Izzy covered her ears, nearly ripping her cow headband off when the damaged and worn voice scraped the air at the word 'helium'.

"We paint white roses red, each shade's from a different person's head," The chicken laughed and shoved Izzy down the rabbit hole with a scream, falling through the endless darkness. "This dream, dream is a killer, we're getting drunk with the blue caterpillar!"

Izzy fell on her face into the tile floor of the woods far below the rabbit's tunnel. She crawled into a stand and tried to shake herself off. The chicken grabbed her shoulders and leaned over her, making Izzy jump.

"I'm peeling the skin off my face, 'cause I really hate being safe." The chicken spun Izzy away from the dining table set with birthday cake and ripped its stained and tattered mask away, revealing it's metal skull covered in rust and water damage.

"The normals, they make me afraid, the crazies, they make me feel sane!" The chicken lifted the teen into the air and slammed her into a folding chair at one end of the table. A little girl with a striped sweater and braids sat at the head.

"I'm nuts, baby, I'm mad," a different little girl with green ribbons and a matching sweater grabbed Izzy's hand in her smaller, colder one,"The craziest friend that you've never had!"

Izzy searched the table, seeing a boy with golden hair and dark skin on her other side and a boy with thick glasses and bright purple hair. Someone was missing though.

"You think I'm psycho, you think I'm gone!" The boy with indigo hair reached over the table, falling onto the confetti patterned cloth and grabbed Izzy's arm as she gasped at his freezing grasp.

"Tell the psychiatrist something is wrong!" Shouted the girl at the head of the table with a lisp lip, braids bobbing.

"Over the bend, entirely bonkers, you'll like us best when we're off our rockers!" The gold boy jumped up and grabbed Izzy's shoulder and holding himself against her as she struggled. How could a bunch of eight year olds be this strong. A new kid, unidentifiable grabbed the back of her neck, wrapping their wirey fingers and tangling in her mass of brown curls.

"Let go!" She yelled, trying to stand, but she was pinned.

"Tell you a secret," The genderless voice of the neck-grabber whispered, "I'm not alarmed. So what if I'm crazy? The best people are."

"All the best people are crazy, all the best people are!" Chanted all the children in unison. Izzy struggled against the chorus.

"Where is my prescription?" The girl with green ribbons asked, leering into Izzy's face with a toothy, beakish grin, purple eyes rolling in the sockets. Gold boy grabbed her face and shoved her away to leer into Izzy.

"Doctor, doctor please listen! My brain is scattered."

"You can be Alice," Said the girl with the hair lisp as she jumped on the table to run on all fours, "I'll be the Mad Hatter!"

"You think I'm crazy, you think I'm gone!" The child with the thin fingers shouted merrily as they wrenched Izzy's neck around to face their weeping eyes, "So what if I'm crazy? All the best people are!"

"And I think you're crazy too, I know you're gone," Assured Ribbons, "That's probably the reason that we get along!"

Izzy finally ripped away, strength finally reaching her.

"Hey, hey, Chill!"

"Ben?" Izzy blinked at him, wide eyed and panting.

"Ya fell asleep!" He said.

"Oh," Izzy said, looking for the abandoned path and pulling him into a hug.

"That bad?" Ben asked. Izzy nodded, no words left in her to say...

"Really idiot?"

"What, isn't that what you are supposed to do anyway?" Regina rolled her eyes on the bench as Uncle Sebbie tried to clear up the situation with mall security in the back office.

"You don't walk outta store without payin' fer yer crap!"

"That's what accountants are for!" Regina insisted, whispering hush rising.

"Well here in what you call the land of poo, we don't have accountants!" Dollface said, angrily explaining some of the most basic information ever, "You bring cash or card, and ya pay up front!"

Dollface hung her head.

"Y'all're supposed t'be with us fer another whole damn month?"


	27. Attic Dwellers

"You're really gonna sleep in my bed?"

Regina looked smugly at Dollface, "You're grandmother said so earlier after that gruel you pounded down. Do you ever hear anything over the sound of your slobbering?"

Dollface tried not to glare at Regina. She grabbed her weighted blanket and her yellow teddy bear and dragged them over to the living room.

"And what are you doing with MY blanket?"

"Regina, it's my blanket." Dollface turned from where she was attempting to set her blanket on the old couch, "Aren't those a little mature for you?"

Regina popped her hip out. "No. I have sophistication and class. I'd never wear something like that."

She pointed her cigarette at Dollface's stained sweatpants and gray teddy bear hoodie. Dollface looked down at herself and shrugged. "Nope."

Regina pouted her lips and put her ciggie back in. Dollface glared at the hot pink baby doll that didn't even try to cover Regina up.

"Yer gonna be regrettin' them real quick though. We can't afford to keep t'heater on at night, and my rooms t'coldest in t'house." Dollface said, "Y'all won't want yer knees in t'breeze."

"Doesn't Daddy pay you to keep the heater on at night?" Regina said, usual tone of bordering bitchiness really grating Dollface's nerves.

"Yes, but Grampa don't like t'use it." Dollface said, "Look, Uncle Sebbie and I went to Target with you and bought a shit ton of new clothes with you. Don't let that new pajama set go to waste."

"I would never wear such a cheap and common clothing, and nothing so unflattering as that outfit you chose for me."

Dollface looked at her and said, quite frankly, "If Gramma found out about this, she'd get Grampa t'switch ya with a willow wand."

Regina huffed and turned to go back to Dollface's room. Dollface sighed, then dragged her blanket into the kitchen. She pulled out a chair and grabbed the rope to the attic hatch and forced the blanket through the opening, dodging the folding ladder.

Dollface pushed the chair back to the table and ran to ensnare the couch cushions. She dragged them around in the attic to an open space in the corner and arranged her new bedroom. She fell into them to bury her face in the bear, and tried not to cry really, really hard on a Saturday night in a freezing cold attic.


	28. Dance, Dance (alt The Woods)

Dolli Mae searched the never ending space made of dark colors and tiles. It was dim, but not dark. She stepped forward on the tiles, heel hitting black. Then a white tile. Then black. She pulled on her puffy shorts and adjusted her thigh-highs. Where was she? She walked through her closet door and stepped into here.

It was like it was a phantom world, all in her closet.

"Hi?"

A voice.

She ignored it, not feeling scared, more mystified.

"Hello?" She called into the shadowy world. Distant drums like the sound of rhythmic thunder echoed with her call as trumpets played in and out, curling around her ears as she stepped forward again. Where was the sound coming from?

A door?

A light flickered behind it, like an LED bulb was about to go out but

refused to give up the ghost. Breaker room. She could just barely make it out from here. Black tile, white tile, black tile- whoop!

Something slithered past with a metal on ceramic hiss, blocking the light as it passed her by.

Dolli Mae stopped dead in her tracks, remembering how she and her dad would hunt in the woods in the nearly-winter but still somehow autumn time.

Hunting was such a big deal in the little town of Elmore and its surrounding communities that they even had a day off of school because that was often an entire family's source of meat for a year until next season. That had been something Henry and William, native Californians hadn't initially understood until explained by Dolli Mae's father.

She waited for the slithering sounds to die away before she could sneak away to the door.

Dolli Mae finally got to the horizon of this world of shadows and grabbed the handle of the industrial door, bathed in its light as the music wafted from behind it. She rattled the knob, then saw a single gold eye light up in the dark as the scraping started up. She slammed her shoulder into the door as the knob was turned and was thrust into a bright backyard party.

A quinceanera to be exact.

One with a small band as a Latina girl swirled around in a fluffy white dress. Dolli Mae didn't know much about quinceaneras, but she could guess the party was for the one in white smiling happily at guests, presumably family members. The song sounded familiar.

_THUMP_!

Dolli Mae looked at the red sleeve with gold accenting as the redhead put his hand up on the wall behind her.

She stared at him, unimpressed, then realized he was wearing a masculine version of her costume.

Red coat, baggy brown breeches and a tricorn hat. He leaned into her, and Dolli mae ducked under his arm. She let him see her retreating back, letting him know she wasn't interested, knowing that she was wearing a much shorter version of his costume, including shorts, thigh highs and low-cut laced shirt.

Realizing she was dressed for the high seas or a kids birthday party, Dolli Mae looked around the backyard party, little mariachi band playing merrily. This was a memory, wasn't it?

But whose?

The guitar started to play again after a quick pause to start a new song. Dancers cleared away from the makeshift dance floor, and Dolli Mae, like an idiot, was left standing.

"Para bailar La Bamba, para bailar La Bamba," The gravelly voice of the singer proclaimed loudly over the small band.

'No drums,' thought Dolli Mae, 'Wolfie would be really disappointed at that. She is on the school drumline, afterall.'

"Se necessita una poca de gracia, una poca de gracia!" And there was the pirate boy on the other side of the stage, watching her with a crooked smile. Dolli Mae rolled her green eyes and played with a lock of dirty blonde hair. "Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba."

Wait, she distinctly remembered drums when standing outside the disappearing door. Wait, what? She watched the pirate boy... tap dancing?

"Ay, arriba arriba, por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere."

Someone whistled and shouted something in Spanish that Dolli Mae felt was directed at her as the pirate continued to dance forward. Wait, was this the drum she'd heard? Rhythmically dancing feet in heels?

"Yo no soy marinero, yo no soy marinero, soy capitan!" The pirate moved forward. Actually, he was kinda cute. "Soy capitan, soy capitan!"

Now she was regretting taking German instead of Spanish last year in school, would've been much more useful in this situation.

What was she thinking? This is weird!

"Bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba!" He was moving closer with surprising grace and speed, each stomp and step forward a precise and practiced moved until he was was right in front of her, circling. "Bamba, bamba, bam!"

With the end of that line came a new one, and he grabbed the red cummerbund from his waist with a flourish, red and green striped lining of his scarlet coat being revealed as he untied the satin and handed one end to her.

Dolli Mae suddenly seemed to understand and held tight to the blood colored ribbon as he spun away, hands unraveling himself as Dolli Mae's feet stopped.

"Para bailar La Bamba, para bailar La Bamba!" the small crowd watching them cheered as he set the ribbon on the ground in a swoop, Dolli Mae mirroring, watching every move he made. How did his hat stay on? Then again, she did some wild things on stage, so why should she be curious?

"Se necessita una poca de gracia, una poca de gracia!" Another whistle as he danced closer again, and put his foot near hers. And then put it between her feet, hooking the toe of his boot on the ribbon and pulling. "Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba, para bailar La Bamba."

"Para bailar La Bamba. Se necessita una poca de gracia, una poca de gracia," He danced around her, then lifted a perfectly tied bow on his foot, forcing her to lift her boot up and show the audience gathered what they'd made. "Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba, ay, arriba arriba!"

The audience cheered as the two grabbed the bow and truly showed it off. Actually, that was impressive considering Dolli Mae had no idea what was going on.

"Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere," She could see a familiar face framed by pale pink curls and red flowers. It looked miserable, slumped in the borrowed pink dress.

"Bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba!" The song ended and the pirate boy put an arm around Dolli Mae, pulling them both into a bow.

The face stepped from the crowd. Dolli Mae suddenly placed it as a girl that was put up on missing posters.

Dolli Mae took no mind as the pirate bow pulled on the ends of the sash and untied it, then wrapped it like an amp cord to hand it to Dolli Mae. Maggie, the girl gone missing turned an angry red as Dolli Mae took the length of satin with a smile, suddenly less crabby.

She pocketed it, then felt Maggie lunge, slamming Dolli Mae into the wooden platform with an angry howl like a million hissing hydraulics and grinding computerboards. Dolli Mae screamed back as she was slammed again by the shoulders. She didn't have six brothers and weekly rugby practice for nothing!

Dolli Mae kneed Maggie in the stomach to hard Maggie lost her breath and choked. Maggie then stopped moving, then her yellow eyes shot open with a howl Dolli Mae screamed, realizing her assailant had another mouth inside her jaws that began to snap at her.

BAM!

Dolli Mae slammed the ninety-nine pound weakling off of her and into the wooden platform, then stood, watching the pirate boy rip Maggie from her place and yell in a voice not quite real, "Monstruo!"

Dolli Mae backed away, watching his teeth go from inhumanly white squares and points like anyone else's to sharp silver daggers, including a single gold one as he roared a deeper version of Maggie's cries of jealousy.

He tossed her onto the ground in a sobbing heap and turned to Dolli Mae, gold eyes burning. She rubbed trickling blood from her nose as he watched her, face still and neutral like a river.

And then she faded away as the morning light trickled in through the trees in the chilly October air. Once again, she'd escaped out her crowded home and into the deer stand in the woods.Dolli Mae searched the never ending space made of dark colors and tiles. It was dim, but not dark. She stepped forward on the tiles, heel hitting black. Then a white tile. Then black. She pulled on her puffy shorts and adjusted her thigh-highs. Where was she? She walked through her closet door and stepped into here.

It was like it was a phantom world, all in her closet.

"Hi?"

A voice.

She ignored it, not feeling scared, more mystified.

"Hello?" She called into the shadowy world. Distant drums like the sound of thunder echoed with her call as trumpets played in and out, curling around her ears as she stepped forward again. Where was the sound coming from?

A door?

A light flickered behind it, like an LED bulb was about to go out but refused to give up the ghost. Breaker room. She could just barely make it out from here. Black tile, white tile, black tile, whoop! Something slithered past with a metal on ceramic hiss, blocking the light as it passed her by.

Dolli Mae stopped dead in her tracks, remembering how she and her dad would hunt in the woods in the nearly-winter but still somehow autumn time.

Hunting was such a big deal in the little town of Elmore and its surrounding communities that they even had a day off of school because that was often an entire family's source of meat for a year until next season. That had been something Henry and William, native Californians hadn't initially understood until explained by Dolli Mae's father.

She waited for the slithering sounds to die away before she could sneak away to the door.

Dolli Mae finally got to the horizon of this world of shadows and grabbed the handle of the industrial door, bathed in its light as the music wafted from behind it. She rattled the knob, then saw a single gold eye light up in the dark as the scraping started up. She slammed her shoulder into the door as the knob was turned and was thrust into a bright backyard party.

A quinceanera to be exact.

One with a small band as a Latina girl swirled around in a fluffy white dress. Dolli Mae didn't know much about quinceaneras, but she could guess the party was for the one in white smiling happily at guests, presumably

family members. The song sounded familiar.

_THUMP_!

Dolli Mae looked at the red sleeve with gold accenting as an unnaturally red redhead put his hand up on the wall behind her.

She stared at him, unimpressed, then realized he was wearing a masculine version of her costume.

Red coat, baggy brown breeches and a tricorn hat. He leaned into her, and Dolli mae ducked under his arm. She let him see her retreating back, letting him know she wasn't interested, knowing that she was wearing a much shorter version of his costume, including shorts, thigh highs and low-cut

laced shirt.

Realizing she was dressed for the high seas or a kids birthday party, Dolli Mae looked around the backyard party, little mariachi band playing merrily. This was a memory, wasn't it?

But whose?

The guitar started to play again after a quick pause to start a new song. Dancers cleared away from the makeshift dance floor, and Dolli Mae, like an idiot, was left standing.

"Para bailar La Bamba, para bailar La Bamba," The gravelly voice of the singer proclaimed loudly over the small band.

'No drums,' thought Dolli Mae, 'Wolfie would be really disappointed at that. She is on the school drumline, afterall.'

"Se necessita una poca de gracia, una poca de gracia!" And there was the pirate boy on the other side of the stage, watching her with a crooked smile. Dolli Mae rolled her green eyes and played with a lock of dirty blonde hair. "Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba."

Wait, she distinctly remembered drums when standing outside the disappearing door. Wait, what? She watched the pirate boy... tap dancing?

"Ay, arriba arriba, por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere."

Someone whistled and shouted something in Spanish that Dolli Mae felt was directed at her as the pirate continued to dance forward. Wait, was this the drum she'd heard? Rhythmically dancing feet in heels?

"Yo no soy marinero, yo no soy marinero, soy capitan!" The pirate moved forward. Actually, he was kinda cute. "Soy capitan, soy capitan!"

Now she was regretting taking German instead of Spanish last year in school, would've been much more useful in this situation.

What was she thinking? This is weird!

"Bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba!" He was moving closer with surprising grace and speed, each stomp and step forward a precise and practiced moved until he was was right in front of her, circling. "Bamba, bamba, bam!"

With the end of that line came a new one, and he grabbed the red cummerbund from his waist with a flourish, red and green striped lining of his scarlet coat being revealed as he untied the satin and handed one end to her.

Dolli Mae suddenly seemed to understand and held tight to the blood colored ribbon as he spun away, hands unraveling himself as Dolli Mae's feet stopped.

"Para bailar La Bamba, para bailar La Bamba!" the small crowd watching them cheered as he set the ribbon on the ground in a swoop, Dolli Mae mirroring, watching every move he made. How did his hat stay on? Then again, she did some wild things on stage, so why should she be surprised?

"Se necessita una poca de gracia, una poca de gracia!" Another whistle as he danced closer again, and put his foot near hers. And then put it between her feet, hooking the toe of his boot on the ribbon and pulling. "Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba, para bailar La Bamba."

"Para bailar La Bamba. Se necessita una poca de gracia, una poca de gracia," He danced around her, then lifted a perfectly tied bow on his foot, forcing her to lift her boot up and show the audience gathered what they'd made. "Para mi, para ti, ay arriba, ay arriba, ay, arriba arriba!"

The audience cheered as the two grabbed the bow and truly showed it off. Actually, that was impressive considering Dolli Mae had no idea what was going on.

"Por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere," She could see a familiar face framed by pink curls and red flowers. It looked miserable, slumped in the borrowed pink dress.

"Bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba, bamba!" The song ended and the pirate boy put an arm around Dolli Mae, pulling them both into a bow.

The face stepped from the crowd. Dolli Mae suddenly placed it as a girl that was put up on missing posters.

Dolli Mae took no mind as the pirate bow pulled on the ends of the sash and untied it, wrapped it like an amp cord, and handed it to Dolli Mae. Maggie, the girl gone missing turned an angry red as Dolli Mae took the length of satin with a smile, suddenly less crabby.

She pocketed it, then felt Maggie lunge, slamming Dolli Mae into the wooden platform with an angry howl like a million hissing hydraulics and grinding computerboards. Dolli Mae screamed back as she was slammed again by the shoulders. She didn't have six brothers and weekly rugby practice for nothing!

Dolli Mae kneed Maggie in the stomach to hard Maggie lost her breath and choked. Maggie then stopped moving, then her yellow eyes shot open with a howl Dolli Mae screamed, realizing her assailant had another mouth inside her jaws that began to snap at her.

_BAM_!

Dolli Mae slammed the ninety-nine pound weakling off of her and into the wooden platform, then stood, watching the pirate boy rip Maggie from her place and yell in a voice not quite real, "Monstruo!"

Dolli Mae backed away, watching his teeth go from inhumanly white squares and points like anyone else's to sharp silver daggers, including a single gold one as he roared a deeper version of Maggie's cries of jealousy.

He tossed her onto the ground in a sobbing heap and turned to Dolli Mae, gold eyes burning. She rubbed trickling blood from her nose as he watched her, face still and neutral like a river.

And then she faded away as the morning light trickled in through the trees in the chilly October air. Once again, she'd escaped out her crowded home and into the deer stand in the woods.


	29. Profane Rabbits

Princess sniffed in the coldness of the room filling with snow. She stomped her feet to bring feeling back into them. "You'll float too."

She kicked at a drift of snow with her ballet slipper and a purple ball of light stirred. "You'll float too."

"I live inside my own world of make believe," Princess gasped, feeling a cold blue hand on her shoulder as she turned, "Kids screaming in their cradles, profanities."

The room full of boxes of lightly dusted parts and old toys, vibrating and buzzing, distant screams filled her ears as she turned on her heel to see the furry face of a rabbit with pink eyes. "You'll float too."

"I see the world through eyes covered in ink and bleach." The jaw flapped aimlessly and out of time with the recorded voice as a sticky drool slopped onto Princess's foot. She stared at Bonnie the bunny, not releasing eye contact as she shivered, light dusting becoming a full inch of snow.

The purple orb rose to face level, searing the corner of her eye. "You'll float too."

"Cross out the ones who heard my cries and watched me weep." Bonnie swung his blue arm, slamming her in the chest. She grabbed a hold and clamped on, shivering becoming a full shake against the crunchy fur.

"I love everything." Bonnie said, trying to pluck the ballerina from his fur like a flea, "Fire's spreading all around my room, my world's so bright. It's hard to breathe, but that's alright."

He paused, finally grabbing her by the neck and said thoughtfully to himself, "Hush!"

A music box ground and clanked, making Princess feel sick as Bonnie continued to drool. He stomped forward, waddling to a new room filling with more snow that touched what little bare skin Princess left exposed. Another orb, this one a blinding yellow brushed painfully hot against her leg, "You'll float too."

"Tape my eyes open to force reality. Why can't you just let me eat my weight in glee?" Bonnie finally pried Princess away and raised her up, growing even taller than his usual eight-foot stature, sharp endoskeleton mouth exposed as he hissed in a breath tainted by rotting nervous tissue, "I live inside my own world of make believe, kids screaming in their cradles, profanities."

Princess kicked at him, but the flimsy lilac dance shoes did nothing, "Somedays I feel skinnier than all the other days, and sometimes I can't tell if my body belongs to me."

He stopped and turned as Princess continued to kick, yellow orb making her skin burn in contrast to the rising snow.

"I love everything," he whispered, leaning into her oval face with rank breath, "Fire's spreading all around my room, my world's so bright…"

"It's hard to breathe, but that's alright," Princess barely whispered as his face fell off in a cloud of wet musty air, watching the blood drip down a burned wall and mix with frozen snow piling higher and higher, "Hush!"

A music box churned somewhere in the remains of a burned building as another colored orb, this one pink and screaming silently.

"You'll float too!" Bonnie screamed with metal gears and electric howls, "I wanna taste your content. Hold your breath and feel the tension, Devils hide behind redemption."

"You'll float too." Princess squeezed her eyes shut and squirmed, hating smell and going numb from sensation, "Honesty is a one way gate to hell!"

"Bonnie!" She screamed flatly, "Stop! please!"

"I wanna taste consumption, Breathe faster to waste oxygen!" He shouted, deep voice speeding up as a child's voice filled in the gaps and more neon lights blinked into view like out of season Christmas lights, "Hear the children sing aloud!"

"You'll float too, you'll float too…"

Princess opened her eyes and searched desperately for an escape and swirling colored light spun around them with increasing feverish heat and Bonnie chanted, "It's music 'till the wick burns out, hush!"

"Just wanna be care-free lately, yeah," Bonnie said, raising her higher as he grew more rows of teeth and his skin tore away, red lights burning in his empty face cavity, "Just kicking up daisies, got one too many quarters in my pockets, count 'em like the four leaf clovers in my locket."

"You'll float too." Game tokens began spilling from an order window like a waterfall with a bear's ace stamped on it, making Princess scream again as they tumbled in the ever increasing drifts of snow as a brown light wavered angrily. "You'll float too!"

"Untied laces, yeah," Bonnie said, skull snapping absently with every word sand, "Just tripping on daydreams, got dirty little lullabies playing on repeat."

Cradles surfaced from the snow like breaching submarines, burned and rotting as the colored lights swirled faster than before, "Might as well just rot around the nursery and count sheep."

Princess was dropped straight into her bed and awake, sweating hard and missing Lilly's Marlane's presence.

"You will float too." She whispered in the dark dawn of a new Monday morning.


	30. Storm Drains

Wolfie zoomed through the streets in the early morning light on her skates. She tossed a rolled paper into Prissy Missy's grimey front yard and it hit an old milk crate next to a goat. Wolfie laughed, nearly losing balance and sped up again, already reaching into her newspaper bag. Just a few more houses to go before she had to catch the bus to school.

If only she could obtain all the knowledge without actually having to go!

Wolfie went flying and splashed into a puddle from last night's thunderstorm.

Ugh!

And it was one of the puddles that never really dried for some weird reason.

It was always funny to watch Missy or any of her gang members trip in their overrated platforms shoes into these types of puddles, but now that Wolfie was the one subjected to the mosquito-breeding cesspool, she suddenly felt an emotion she never thought she would feel for Missy- empathy. She gagged, wanting to pull her black turtleneck off right there in the street and go home. The smell, slightly frozen over, a thin crust of ice the only earthly bound it possessed, would permeate her anyway, making school so much worse without a shower.

Wolfie looked at the storm drain, shivering in the early October air.

"Hey."

She rolled onto her back in surprise, getting more frigid and scuzzy water onto her.

"Wanna balloon?" The smiling, unchanging white face stared at her from the drain as a black, sinewy striped hand reached for her, holding out a red balloon.

"I'm not allowed t'talk t'strangers, asshole."

Wolfie stood up and finished her rounds, and returned home for a shower. Her mother, the redheaded Mrs. Sanchéz who mainly stayed at home on weekdays, was understanding of her daughter's need for a shower once the smell of the puddle entered the house, and made sure to call ahead for the school.

Just in case...

"Ugh, this? Really?"

"Yep." Dollface said.

Regina glared, "I'm not getting on that thing!"

"Your loss." Dollface shrugged, "I ain't lettin' ya hitch a ride."

Regina watched the dirty yellow bus roll up the hill to the school stop as Dollface rolled her blue bike farther away and mounted, rolling down the sidewalk. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Regina squished out her Davidoff. She'd glared at the 'Target fashion' hanging in her new closet this morning, opting instead for her St. Rupert's uniform, and stomped her stiletto.

The shoes were her only hope for any form of fashionability in this dump of a town. Regina couldn't wait to leave sometime in November.

The bus pulled up in a loud, stinking hiss. Elmore Junior High was stamped on the side in once bold, black letters, now faded down from years of bad weather and dirt roads. She rolled her eyes, gagging from diesel fumes and cheap cigars tinged with the smell of the average, common pubescent boy before tenth grade.

The doors swung open, nearly slapping her in the face. It was swarmed by the sixth, seventh, eighth graders until she was the only one standing at the stop.

"Ya gettin' in, or what?"

Regina gulped, seeing the moth-eaten old man driving, one arm replaced with a hook.

He was a vet. Probably from what all these simpletons, including her hosts called, 'Nam.

Regina nodded and nervously stepped onto the bus and it's stinky floor, trying to find an empty seat. She found one right away, right up front and sat. She was terrified.

"Yo, don't be a dick, pass it up, dude!" Yelled a boy in the back. Regina gulped, recognizing the smell of Marijuana.

She really needed a smoke from her Davidoff right now, but it was her only pack, and she turned her nose at anything but the best. Even her asthmatic father had no clue of her habits, but Regina was convinced she could quit anytime she wanted to.

Regina smoothed her blue plaid skirt over her knees and tried not to breathe too deeply as the bus ran onto an unpaved road.

"Everyone, hold on t'somethin', we on Old Town Road after a storm!" The driver shouted over the screaming sixth graders, and the 'too cool to be here' eighth graders.

"Why?" Regina stood up and asked. The driver ignored her, hand on the wheel tight, hook wrapped on the opposite side.

It didn't take long for her to find out why, because as soon as she sat, the bus flipped.

FLIPPED.

Like, a complete one-eighty, wheels still spinning in the air.

The middle schoolers screamed, then laughed barbarically as they were tumbled around and onto their heads like a bag of bath salts.

_WHUMP_!

Regina screamed, seeing the eighth grade boy fall into her lap and crush her in a cloud of old skunk and ashes.

"Hey babyface." He drawled, situation not fully registering yet in his stoned state. Regina squealed and pushed him away, home wrapped hash dangling from his teeth wetly, "Y'all're so purdy when yer angry."

"Johnny, git yer ass back in yer seat!" Shouted the driver, "And git that damn grass outta here 'fore Highway Patrol comes!"

"Yessir!" Johny laughed, scrambling to stand but too stoned to fully register anything.

If this was a good example of what was to come, then Regina wanted to go back to St. Rupert's, even if she was the one who found the snakes in her bed and laxatives in her chocolate boxes….

Dollface arrived at Merston High on her bike and ran into the entrance of her school. She was so glad the district found enough kids in the county to round up for separate Junior and High school buildings this year.

She'd lose it if she had to share a building with that brat. And she could barely take sleeping in the attic anymore.

At least Dolli Mae and her ever-so Catholic family had a spare bunk bed Dollface could borrow and share with Regina. Tonight was another Fazbear Rehearsal, and tomorrow night, Dolli Mae had cheer and rugby practice, Wolfie had a three-hour drumline session, and that left everyone else to their own devices. String Bean was too busy to play trumpet for the opening, so that left them open.

First Period Art.

A dreary Monday morning left Dollface unmotivated, eyes droopy and back aching from her new routine. Ugh, tonight, she'd have a real bed again. Dollface was hoping for top bunk, she'd always wanted to sleep in one. And Regina's complaints of meals and service were getting on even Gramma's nerves...


	31. Bratwurst

"Hey, where's Cowatch?"

"Oh, Dollface?" Mrs. Cowatch said over her potato peeling. Regina had slipped off her heels and ran barefoot inside the house. The heels were nearly ruined by the gravel driveways and Regina was still carsick from the bus.

"Yeah, her."

"Dollface is at rehearsal. She might not be back for awhile. Maybe not until after dinner." Mriel said as Regina watched the knobbly old hands peel with the knife, "Howsa 'bout ya help me wit' dinner. Grampa will be back soon from Health Inspections and be hungry for bratwurst."

Regina wrinkled her nose, "Again? I hate sausages."

"Well, I'm afraid that in this haus, everyone eats what's served and likes it." Muriel said sharply, not even looking at Regina.

Regina snorted, "Why does everyone sound like a damn kraut in this town?"

Gramma looked up from her potato finally and smiled, "Oh, hello Eustace!"

...Dollface hummed and put her key in the lock after absently braiding the willow trees weeping branches in a sudden burst of contentment. Henry really had them going tonight, and the costumes would be back from corporate in a few days now. Dollface didn't notice the missing branch. She remembered being switched with a willow wand once when she was six, and after that, she never sassed-off to Grampa ever again, that was for sure.

She stepped into the living room and looked around, seeing Regina laid out on her front, looking like she'd been crying, legs Christmas ornament red.

Grampa sat in his chair, reading his newspaper, Gramma sitting next to him sewing in her rocking chair with Courage splayed out on her lap, wheezing and farting in his sleep.

"Dinner's on t'table." Muttered Grampa, not looking up from the local paper. May as well call it 'Nowhere News', cause that's all Elmore was even now.

Dollface looked around and smiled her thanks, skipping into the kitchen for dinner, not even a little worried.

Regina, of course, took top bunk before Dollface had a chance to snag it, but that was fine because Dollface could put up a curtain and pretend she was in a magical room all for herself. Just like a princess's canopy bed, equipped with it's own privacy curtains. Privacy was a luxury Dollface could tell she wouldn't be getting for a few weeks now.


	32. Blaring Sirens and Red Flags

"Hey Regina?" Dollface said, smiling on her bunk. Regina was smearing expensive face creams on the bunk above her, "Wanna hear a scary story?"

"Ugh," Regina groaned, "You are so immature for your age. Aren't you a Phantomhive?"

Dollface shrugged with a funny throat noise and asked again, "Y'all wanna hear a scary story for a bedtime treat?"

"Fine." Regina said with an audible '_WHUMP_!' onto her bed.

"Y'all ever hear t'story of Siren Head?"

"No." Regina said, sounding especially bratty tonight. Who pissed in her cheerios this morning? The late night train rumbled and whistled in the distance like it always did. Dollface wondered if Regina would ever hear the ice on the river grind together in the early morning. Regina had seen the mist this morning and sniffed in sharp disapproval.

"Well," Dollface started, thinking of the best way to initiate her new-found sister into the land of weird, "Y'know how we're basically surrounded by woods here? Our backyards, most of the town, even the overgrown and shadowy abandoned dog park, kinda?"

"Yeah?" Regina said, obviously not caring.

"Never get lost in them after dark." Dollface advised, remembering one summer when she and her friends sneaked off into the woods to have a secret bonfire without any adults when they should have been in bed.

"Well duh!" Regina said, audibly eye rolling as she climbed down the ladder of the bunk bed. Dollface could peak between the bed, curtains, and ladder to watch Regina step over to the window and pull out a hidden pack of cigarettes stashed under the bed and open the window.

"Damn! It's absolutely freezing out there!" She slammed the window shut, shivering in her babydoll nighty.

"Told ya!" Dollface said, blowing a raspberry. "Shouldn't smoke either, or Grampa'll switch ya again!"

"I'm not afraid of Eustace!"

"Why ya call 'em Eustace?" He's your grandad too!"

Regina wrinkled her perfect little nose and stomped her bare foot, not able to protest lineage and logic. She didn't want to be related to some commoner, after all, and admitting it was mortifying!

Even to her own, common peasant sister!

Regina slumped her shoulders and strutted to the closet and pulled out the fleece pajamas, glancing at her summerweight night gown in flowing silk and ribbons and nearly cried to herself.

"Don't watch!" She snapped. Dollface fell back onto her bed even though she couldn't see anything. And even if Dollface could, she really didn't want to!

"Ya wanna hear t'story or not?" Dollface asked once Regina had propped the window and it's screen open again, overpriced death sticks lit and in hand.

"Fine." Regina said, puffing a ring of smoke out the window and into the night. Dollface wrapped herself up, thanking God Almighty for creating the person who invented bed socks and family quilts.

"Okay, well, those woods are haunted."

"Figures." Regina said, "All forests are. If it wasn't, it would just be a bunch of trees."

"Do ya know what by?" Dollface asked, seeing she really did have a smarty pants on her hands. She checked to see if the bedroom door was closed for the night.

"No, and I don't particularly care."

"It's haunted by Siren Head!" Dollface said, trying to make her voice sound ominous.

"Don't believe you. What kind of ghost would be named that?"

"You don't have to be dead to haunt a bunch of trees, silly!" Dollface said, "And besides, Siren Head is a good name for whatever it is."

"And why is that?" Regina let out a puff of smoke into the chilly atmosphere.

"Because it's forty feet tall and has what looks like a siren instead of a head, and the openings are giant mouths with slobberin' tongues and gnashin' teeth!" Dollface said, "And whenever it wants to find its prey, it copies the sounds of sirens."

"What kind?" Regina said casually. She wouldn't get to sleep until Dollface finished her dumb children's story, so she may as well humor her.

"Police sirens. Tornado warnin's. Severe weather alerts. Emergency broadcast. When it first started showin' up, it even mimicked bomb sirens." Dollface fell back, no longer watching Regina and definitely trying not to rudely gag on the smell of tobacco.

Regina continued her nicotine session, only half-listening. The train whistled to itself as it sped down the tracks. The next one would come soon, there was a crossroads nearby.

"You wanna know what the scariest part is?" Dollface asked.

Regina nodded and said, "Blow me away."

Dollface smiled, "Whenever it finds its prey, lured out of blind panic at being lost durin' an emergency, Siren Head rips 'em to pieces. And that's not even the scariest part."

"Then why'd you say it was? That's an illogical way to tell a story!"

"Nah dude," Dollface said, black eyes twinkling behind the curtain, "the scary part is when Siren Head is done."

"And what does it do when it's done?"

Dollface beamed, knowing she'd stolen Regina's peaking curiosity, "It plays the victim's suffering on it's system, an' you can hear it for miles, wailin' an' screamin' an' cryin'…"

Dollface sighed, trailing off, meds starting to kick in. She'd forgotten how strong they could be after she'd stopped taking them for a while. They made her head feel funny and foggy.

"And everyone can hear it, and remember why they can't leave their houses after sundown. And why they should never get lost in strange woods."

Regina was silent as Dollface began to doze behind her curtain.

"Oh hey," Dollface snapped awake, physically fighting her meds, "Can ya turn off the lights before ya go to bed?"

...Regina woke up in the night on the top bunk hearing quiet sobs. She'd

slept lightly tonight, not wanting to be taken by some stupid urban legend a kid came up with to scare other children. She was too old for that silliness anyway.

But if she was ever strung out and tortured, Regina would have to admit the quiet cries of fear under her bunk did make her heart race in fear of some made-up monster.

She needed her sleep, even on this mattress that smelled like feet and felt like rocks under Regina's delicate back, especially after that unfair switching she'd gotten from Eustace. The servants at home never wrenched her arm and dragged her into the front lawn of the manor and snapped a willow branch across her legs like that, and Daddy got a strong-worded letter of complaint about that. She hoped it would arrive soon. The train whistled in the dark, cold Autumn night.

"Please…"

Her ears perked up as she watched the textured ceiling move and shift before her eyes in the dark, trying not to think of a siren with teeth and slobbering pink tongues.

"What do… want from… me?"

Regina crawled over one side and peered below through the gap in the ladder rungs and watched Dollface shift around in the dark space she'd made herself, feet first. Dollface grumbled, clearly having a nightmare as she nuzzled into the ugly yellow bear.

This wasn't Regina's concern, never would be, so she promptly went back to bed, glad it wasn't some lame monster...

"What do you want from me?" Dollface spat, watching the tiled floor, dimly aware of the clunky yellow feet. She didn't want to look at it. She wanted to pretend it wasn't there and that it was just a dream to continue dreaming. She hoped the nightmare would go away.

Because if you say it's real, then it is.

The rumbling laughter, low and rolling hit her in a stale blast of hot, humid and very, very dead air.

Dollface cringed.

Don't be rude.

She finally met the searing red gaze of the gold bear, towering over eight feet over her as the darkness pressed into them like Izzy's eager chickens at suppertime.

"There is a house in this town," it sang in a lilting voice as loud and deep as it's painfully slow groan of stale laughter. "They call the Rising Sun."

Dollface felt dizzy as the world of tiles and darkness slid away to a land of play, were bunnies and bears sang on a gold stage. The saturated yellow and green and red branded her mind as the bear continued, not noticing, no, _causing_ the shifts in the landscape, "And it's been the ruin of many a poor child, and God, I know I'm one."

Dollface's eardrums rattled at the low rumbling guitar playing behind them.

"My mother was a tailor, she sewed my new blue jeans." The world shifted to a garage of a woman stitching a mass of yellow fur, thick black hair a silvering mass as it fell into her dark, smiling face as William stumbled in drunkenly, "My father was a gamblin' man, down in City of Angels."

The world shifted to the backroom full of yellow animals suits with two toddlers playing. Dollface craned around the leaning figure of the bear, "Now the only thing a gambler needs is a suitcase and trunk."

William, the man in a bunny suit snatched the boy matching Charlotte, Henry's daughter. Henry had mentioned there'd been a twin. Did William…?

"And the only time he's satisfied, is when he's on a drunk." The bear snapped and grabbed Dollface's shoulders, she screamed, startled away from William's escape as the scene changed to the room outside, animals on stage singing as people ran, three of them in animal masks. "Oh mother, tell your children."

Dollface's dark eyes widened, seeing a child dangling by the mouth of the yellow circus bear, limp. A teen boy she recognized screamed nearby, watching what might have been his brother fall from the flapping jaws of the beast. He vaulted onto the stage, grabbing the boy and holding him. Dollface gagged, seeing a brain exposed, tan face mutilated and sickening in the harsh green lights. Then in the magenta ones. And then the cyan blue ones. "Not to do what I have done."

"Why? Why are you showing me this?!" Dollface shouted, kicking. The bear dropped her, scene changing once again in a dizzying display to the back room no one had been allowed to go into at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria and Arcade. The bear didn't care. It's red eyes burned silver holes into her eyelids when she tried to close them. She didn't want to see anymore. "Spend your lives in sinning misery, in the House of the Rising Sun"

She opened them, seeing William in his suit, backing against a wall, hands up as white spectors marched forward, reaching to him. They paid no attention to the bear and the girl. They had a target.

"Well, I got one foot on the platform, the other foot's on the train." The crashing sound of an organ filled her ears as the suit William hid in snapped, and with a scream, he fell to his knees. "I'm goin' back to our home, to wear that ball and chain."

Dollface could stop watching the blood gushing down through cracks in the outdated suit. William screamed.

"Well, there is a house in this town, they call it the Rising Sun." The bear crescendoed, making Dollface scream as the deep sound rattled her ear drums.

"And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy…." He paused to let Dollface take in the screaming mess as the world shifted and turned as she tried to fight against everything, trying not to see, "And God I know I'm one."


	33. Highschool Sweethearts

_Dolli Mae glared around the big top floor in her funtime pirate costume, pink coat hems brushing her brown booted calves in the thick, deadened air._

_She stomped her heel, hearing the clack resonate distantly around the empty circus ring and sang slowly with a swell of her voice, sounding like the usual head cold she didn't have, "Can we just be honest?"_

_She waited in the dark for a reply, counting tiles. Knowing she wouldn't get one after counting thirteen black tiles, sang with a new tinge of near hunger, "These are the requirements."_

_Dolli Mae swayed with a giggle, and continued, "If you think you can be my one and only true love."_

_She laughed, hearing no echo. She looked upwards at the ceiling, seeing no curtains or spotlights, just emptiness. No real color, an indescribable shape, size, everything. Just a lack of anything.__"_

_You must promise t'love me, and damn it, if ya screw me over, I will rip your…" Dolli Mae trailed off, seeing a pair of glowing yellow eyes in the surrounding blackness. "...useless face apart…"_

_"Step one," The red haired boy stood in front of her, close enough to touch as he continued, "You must accept that I'm a little outta my mind."_

_Dolli Mae shoved her hand into his mouth in the shape of a gun, like she was pulling the trigger as he grinned, metal teeth digging into her finger._

_"Step two," She barked in response, pulling them out, unsure of why she had the urge to do that, "This is a waste if you can't walk me down the finish line."_

_Dolli Mae snarled another line, angry for some reason. Maybe it was how close the dark skinned pirate boy was? "Step three."__She pushed him, surprised at how much there was under his clothes. Dolli Mae tried not to think about that. He felt like he was made of metal. "Give me passion, don't make fun of me."_

_"Step four." He hissed as he stalked around her, chin jutted up, profile turned to her, gold eyes trained, "Give me more, give me more, more."_

_"If you can't handle a heart like mine, don't waste your time with me." Dolli Mae snapped with a nice pitch, "If you're not down to bleed, no, whoa. If you can't handle the choking, the biting, the loving, the smothering, 'til you can't handle it no more, no more."_

_And then, in another spout as he bent over and put a hand under her chin with a smile like a cat catching a rat ,"Then just go home."_

_She slapped his hand away, "Can we just be honest?"_

_He shrugged, standing away again, just on the outskirts of Dolli Mae's reach, "These are the requirements, if you think you can be my one and only true love."_

_Dolli Mae wasn't a fan of the upturned lips and prowling stare, "You must promise to love me, and damn it, if you fuck me over, I will rip your freakin' face apart."_

_He stooped again, neon curls and eagle-esque face level with hers, "Highschool sweethearts, line up."_

_She glared, pulling away and tossing her waist-length hair over her shoulder, "You're tryin' t'waste my time. High school sweethearts, shut up."__Still Trying to place him, Dolli Mae stepped back with a stomp and crossed her arms, "Step five, ya can't be scared t'show me off and hold my hand."_

_He shrugged, then said in a voice not quite real, "Step six?"_

_"If you can't put in work I don't know what you think this even is."_

_"Step seven?" he asked in a crunchy voice like a dispatcher on a policeman's radio.__"_

_This one goes to eleven," Dolli Mae grabbed the white collar under his red coat that matched her pink one and said with perfect timing,"If you cheat you will die."_

_She gasped as the Pirate Boy pulled her into him, and said loudly, almost in a begrudging protest, "If you can't handle a heart like mine, don't waste my time with this."_

_"If you're not down to bleed," He said in a distant sound as his lower jaw flapped emptily, "If you can't handle the choking, the biting, the loving, the smothering, 'til you can't handle it any more."_

_Dolli Mae stiffened, then pulled into a turn as he fell forward to her ear and whispered, "Go home."__"Can we just be honest?"_

_Dolli Mae pushed him away again, feeling like she was under a spell._

_He grinned, titanium fangs bared, one arm still wrapped around Dolli Mae's waist, "These are the requirements, if you think you can be my one and only true love."__She continued, finally finding herself able to push away, "You must promise to love me."__"_

_If you screw me over," she insisted, but he grabbed her hand, the one his fangs hand sunk into._

_"I will rip your face apart." he finished, eyes burning and the outline of his blue steel hook on her back, "High school sweethearts, line up."_

_Dolli Mae stepped back, but he still had her. For some reason she could not comprehend, she didn't feel like fighting it. She felt more like standing there like some idiot._

_"They're tryin' t'waste my time."_ _She let him pull her into another turn and said again, "High school sweethearts, shut up if you're not my type."_

_He pulled the girl into him, and Dolli Mae realized he wasn't fully flesh and bone. Almost like a robot pretending to be. "Could you hold me through the night? Put your lips all over my salty face when I start cryin'?"_

_He rocked her, standing in the Funtime Auditorium swaying together in pirate costumes._

_"Could you be my first time? You'd eat me up like an apple pie, but you make me not wanna die."_

_Confusion. That's what Dolli Mae was feeling right now as she held onto him. "Just don't be a waste of my time."_

_He rested his head against hers as she whispered out, "Can we just be_ _honest? These are the requirements if you think you can be my one and only true love."_

_He could feel him nod._

_She continued, "You must promise to love me, and damn it, if you fuck me over, I will rip your stupid face apart."_"

...Hey Dolli!" Dollface leaned over to Dolli Mae in seventh period math.

Dolli Mae looked up from her doodling and smiled back, hand unaccountably bleeding.

"Gramma said I can invite someone over fer dinner tonight, and I wanted t'ask ya."

Dolli Mae glanced down at her doodles with a slight smile, wide green eyes drooping, having been caught mid-daydream, "I'm busy tonight."

"Oh," Dollface said, disappointed again. "Okay."

She smiled. At least she would have rehearsal time to spend with friends. Dollface really missed her friends.


	34. Night on the Town

William stretched, feeling something on his back.

Whatever. He ripped what was left of the current guard in half, wishing he'd been able to fuck them.

Oh well, there was always tomorrow night and a newer, better model in stock, and besides, William was ready to leave for the night. Monitoring the soulless memories of a small group of his children was utterly dull, and a night on the town sounded like fun.

William reached his foam fur hands into the ripped pants of the desocated watchman and pulled out the soaked wallet.

Finding only five dollars, Springtrap tried to remember if the manager kept a safe in the building or not. He shrugged, really needing some bread and butter from the nearest Walmart.

Just get the cheap crap, he didn't need a full meal.

He knocked over a grimey suit stand with a Bonnie costume loosely arranged on it. He tromped down a long hallway and found the glowing exit sign bathing the cluttered corridor in the color of death.

William smiled with thin, dry lips as he ripped the handle off the door and tripped the silent alarm to alert the Big City's first response department.

Police would come and see nothing a miss, ambulances would come and find no bodies to heal, and the firemen would not need to defend against fire. Springtrap stepped into the alleyway full of puddles and felt a light drizzle on his moldy fur. He breathed in a hollow breath, enjoying and savoring the smell of a City about to be lit on fire in just two weeks' time...

"...Vinnie, what is this?"

Vinnie walked into the door of his living room to see his father, still wearing furry yellow pants and holding up the school enrollment class schedule.

"Oh, yeah, that, uuuh," Vinnie said, suddenly feeling cornered again, "I was hoping to go to school here, and I uh…"

William furrowed his brow flipping through what Vinnie had circled hopefully in red pen, including German, calculus and, "Drivers' Ed? Intro to Engineering? Son, what's wrong with your old man? I could teach you this stuff!"

Vinnie sniffed, mood from the soda shop with Dolli Mae completely killed, "Mom wanted me to go to school for a lot of this, I wanna see what they have to offer."

"Why? I know most of this stuff already." William insisted as Vinnie pulled on his sweltering sweatshirt hiding his bruised and scratched self because Dad got too excited and beat him up again, "And you will inherit the company after I retire."

"Yeah, but I wanna learn more than that so I can improve it!" Vinnie insisted, not wanting to make his sad father sadder.

"Don't raise your voice at your father!"

Vinnie shrank down again, ruffling his black curls in a sudden burst of nerves as the light accent he sometimes had from being around relatives and visiting family across a border, "I just want to do better."

"Is this about Disney?"

"No…" Vinnie said. Vinnie didn't even want to work with animatronics anymore after seeing what happened to everyone he ever met. He was starting to hate animatronics, loathing the family business ran by two engineers, seeing what it was doing to them and their families. He was thinking about just running away and joining the Navy Corp of Engineers.

"Good. I can't have my son betray me for a competitor at Disney." William said, handing the papers back over, suddenly calm.

"Why can't I be an imagineer?" Vinnie asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"Because, Vin, you need to stay here, with me instead of making animatronics for a theme park." William said, "But having a full education in that field might help us destroy that entertaining Rat and Nolan Bushnell. Not to mention that Mickey guy!"

William winked, smiling a wide smile as Vinnie felt like he was walking on eggshells again. Vinnie couldn't figure out why though his dad was always like this. Mom always wanted him to work at Disney, openly encouraging her hyperactive son. He couldn't understand why his father, the second she disappeared, got so weird about that. Vinnie had initially put it to grief, but now, it seemed like something else.

Without another word, Vinnie took the course list, taking that as a yes for later on classes. He walked into his room, and in a few hours they'd be returning from dinner at Henry's house.

"Papá, where'd Mom go?"

"Back home to live with family," William replied as they walked down the street. William always said that, but after a few months of it, Vinnie began to smell something fishy. Vinnie walked along the sidewalk, really hoping Dolli Mae hadn't noticed the sweatshirt he'd been wearing all day. She'd probably laugh at him like his dad said she would if she saw the bruises. What girl would want someone who couldn't win a single fight?

Even if it had come out of nowhere so Vinnie couldn't play defense?

It was just a play fight.

Like back when Mom and Zach and Lizzie were still around. William rarely got too rough, but after Zach was…

It became increasingly more erratic and one day, Mom stopped jokingly scolding Dad and took Lizzie with her.

"Why did she take Lizzie and not me?"

William slapped Vinnie upside the back of his head, making the lanky boy stumble and see stars. "Thought I told ya boy, she wanted space!"

"Okay, okay!" Vinnie said, searching around the street, remembering the bruise around his little brother's eye, "I just thought she would've come back for me too by now."

"Look, I told you," William sounded exasperated, "Your mother wanted you to get to know me better and what not, and I'm just doing what she told me to do."

Vinnie muttered something under his breath in a different language his more traditional family members taught him, starting to walk further away from his father.

"What did you say?" Voice suddenly rising, William wrenched Vinnie to face him.

"N-nothing?" Vinnie smiled like an idiot. It usually worked, but instead he got it in the eye.

And it was decided, Vinnie would work at Fazbear's tomorrow and would be allowed to practice Flamenco at the dance studio if he didn't say a word about his blackeye and where he got it.


	35. Good Morning Monsters

Joe and Logan stood outside the newest horror attraction in the alleyway.

"'Parently, the rabbit 'cided t'take a walk." Joe said, taking a drag, annoyed that corporate had decided that taping a sign to runaway rabbit would make a great promotional. Logan rather liked Joe and his old, rough face and graying goatee. "Means I had t'replace that got-damned exit door this mornin' and clean up after t'firemen and t'police."

"I know," Logan said, flat drawl as he watched the older janitor in purple coveralls blow out smoke, "I was there helpin' ya."

"You a good kid." Joe said, dark hand waving a cigarette, "How you end up 'ere?"

"Didn't wanna go t'college an' I flunked high school." Logan shrugged. He glanced at a poster with a large man in a white suit with a ventrilloquist dummy.

"My wife likes ya." Joe said, "She wants ya over fer dinner soon."

"Why?" Logan asked. Joe was like the father he never had. Logan had a good father, that was true, but Joe was the grisly kind who lived through everything and could tell you all about it with a single, nonjudgemental look.

Joe gave him a look and Logan decided to leave that conversation hanging.

"Now why do they keep hirein' slackers?" Logan said, "They leave before the sun rises."

Joe snorted around his cigarette, "I dunno, but my lil grandson Fritz says it ain't new either. His roommate was a guard at a fully functionin' Fazbear's. Says that guy just got up an' left without further notice and left 'em wit' rent t'pay and stuff t'clean up."

Logan thought about that. It wasn't his problem, from what he heard about Fritz's roommate, he was a bit of a junkie and would disappear pretty often. Jeremy probably just found a new place to get high and jetted.

Joe sighed.

Logan looked at another ripped, wet, stained poster on the gross brick wall near the dumpster with a clown and a ballerina. The clown leered at him as he pulled his glasses off to wipe them on his purple sleeve.

Joe dropped his cancer stick with a wet cough and stomped it out with his run-down Nike's from over twelve years ago. "Break's over."

...Lilly Marlane put on her Wednesday dress.

Some say she dressed too nicely for school, but she had to disagree. And cycling through dresses based off the days of the week just made laundry day easier. Kept things organized too.

Frosty blue shadow over her eyes and a basic liner and mascara, and she skipped down her family ranch house's hallway to the kitchen like every morning. Eggs, bacon, and her books.

Her nasty little sister, as usual, bothered her in that slimy way of hers while wearing Lilly's favorite red lipsticks, but Lilly ignored it, because it was a pretty morning and whether it went well or not wouldn't dictate having a good Wednesday at school.


	36. Thing

"You're needed in the office right now."

Dollface looked up at the boy with golden hair standing over her in fourth period math.

"Is this about Regina, cause she a big girl an' I ain't her Ma…"

The boy cocked his head, red eyes watching her. He looked like he wanted to touch her pink hair and he could barely keep his vacant self from doing so. "No."

"Aren't y'all a li'l young t'be here?" Dollface asked. He was probably from the other wing. They got rid of the middle schoolers, but the elementary school was still attached to Merston highschool in some way or another.

He shrugged, eyes burning in his tan face. She stood, standing much taller than the eight year old with the blackening bruise burning into his warm-toned skin.

He lead her away from the classroom. "Wait, do I need my stuff?"

The golden boy shook his head, and continued to walk. He waited at the stairs. Dollface stood next to him at the top, not questioning the incorrect route to the office.

"Follow me."

Dollface took a few steps, lagging behind the boy. "Where we goin'?"

He turned around, eyes wide. "Follow me."

"Why?" Dollface asked.

He repeated in a voice like wind cracking in dead leaves not quite fallen from their branches, "Follow me."

"Okay, chill." She said as he began to walk again. "Wait, turn around."

He turned to her.

"Who hurt you?"

The boy cocked his head.

"Who hurt you? Show me your arm." She reached for him, and he pulled away quickly. Dollface grabbed his arm and pulled the red and green sweater over his elbow to see old and new bruises running up and down the frail, boney limb.

"Who hurt you?" Dollface whispered, trying not to look into those red eyes that turned silver when she closed hers.

He shook his arm to unravel the sleeve as he pulled away from her, and ran down the stairs, insistently shouting, "Follow me!"

She chased after him down the stairs and into a chilly room in the basement full of boilers and metal stairs.

"A distant lullaby, dying from my sight, a glow is amiss, fleeting from my side."

Dollface glared around the darkened room, losing the golden boy in the sea of platforms and slip proof stairs. "I can hear ya!"

The sound of an animal bleating scared her. It sounded so much like a crying child in the dark as footsteps fell on the metal and mechanical breathing filled her ears.

"Oh, why, oh why, alone in a cruel world," she heard a low rumbling laugh that made her shiver uncontrollably, "Leaves me cold and curled."

He dropped from the ceiling, eyes burning redder than a fire truck as he swung upside-down. Dollface gasped, startled, then tried to reach him, the vague outline of his skull just under his thin, papery skin.

"But then, friends, warmth," he reached for her this time. He stopped before touching her square, chiseled face, almost scared, "Eyes that gleam, a glow returned once more it seems."

A bright ball of hot light rose from behind him as he flipped back into the rafters to disappear.

"I want hair like yours." He said from in the rafters. Dollface squinted, trying to find him. He could get hurt up there.

"I want hands like yours." She ducked as the gleaming blue ball charged at her.

"I want fingers that curl in the cold like yours." Dollface turned and jumped, seeing him sitting right behind her on the metal railing. He scratched his perched with metal nails that grew from his fingers like claws and made Dollface want to rip her ears off from the ear-shattering sound.

"I want eyes to stare, and to cry when I'm feeling scared like you," he assured. His voice tugged at her as a yellow orb of light rose and wavered over him, inspecting Dollface as he reached, then let go completely, falling backwards from his perch and vanishing away like mist from the river this morning.

Dollface craned over, scared to see his frail body on the tile floor below.

"Just like you!"

Dollface screamed, arm grabbed as she was pulled to the underside of the platform. She squeezed her eyes shut preparing to fall, then seeing that she was standing like she would anywhere else. The boy with gold hair cocked his head, side to side, red eyes almost hypnotizing. She mirrored that slow, curious motion as he reached out to touch her for real with frozen hands.

"Soft lullabies never leave my side," Dollface looked down at herself, then back at him as his face morphed, growing longer and squarer. "Glowing warm fur and gleaming round eyes."

The world flipped right side up as the boy grew taller and fuller, "Isolated no more."

Five glowing balls in assorted and blinding colors surrounded him as his voice deepened, "My friends don't struggle there is no point, you'll never be alone."

The balls of light surrounded him as his legs changed shape, skin stretching and making popping noises as the fursuit grew and rippled in ways they shouldn't as he leaned forward to see Dollface. She tried to avoid the golden bear's eyes as he tried to steal eye contact.

"From now, friends, warmth, never leave," He grabbed her and scooped her up as she struggled violently against the metal shell under the fur, fearing locks and wires piercing her flesh, "Struggling only makes the hugs much tighter."

The colored orbs started spinning lazily chanting, "You'll float too." As the golden bear's deep, heavy voice rippled through her ears.

"I want hair like yours," Something wrenched her hair as he grabbed her hand, "Hands like yours with fingers that curl in the cold, like yours."

Dollface screamed, freezing as white ashes rained cold down upon the group. She struggled harder.

"I want eyes to stare and to cry when I'm feeling scared like you, I want hair like yours, hands like yours."

"Stop it! Please!" Dollface squeezed her eyes shut, wanting it to stop as the light started shouting over and over and over again, '_You'll float too_!'

"Fingers that curl in the cold like yours!"

Dollface heard the droning of her teacher before she opened her eyes as she sat in her desk, fingers clenched, as, '_I want to eyes to stare_.' echoed through her head.

Dollface took a few breaths to calm herself from the nightmare still rattling in her head.

"And to cry when I'm feeling scared." The teacher said. Dollface opened her eyes at her desk again.Yo, what a trip! She looked at the black board.

'_Like you_' the board added.

"Dollface!"

Dollface sat up at her desk, panting.

"Are you getting enough sleep at home?" The once faceless teacher looked at her with genuine concern.

"Y-yes Ms. Dalan."

Ms. Dalan looked Dollface over carefully and sighed. "I don't want to embarrass you, but if ya need time t'study in a quieter place, you can stay here after school."


	37. Seperate Ways, Worlds Apart

Princess looked over Henry's shoulder at Thursday night practice and looked over her shoulder at Wolfie behind her drumset. Could she see the indigo haired boy with thick, coke-bottle glasses too?

Wolfie smiled at Princess and waved a drumstick.

Apparently not.

Princess pushed her pink glasses up her nose and gulped, touching the mini crown in her blue hair. She nervously played a few chords on her red y-shape.

Then she smiled.

Oh, oh yes!

Dolli Mae looked at her and Princess stopped, smiling at the suggestion and started to play an intro on her synth keytar and Dollface giggled. Princess slammed the power chords as Wolfie let it rain on her drum set and Izzy danced in place, waving her ribboned tamborine.

"Here we stand," Dollface said, doing her own dance as she blasted her white bass and sang over the music with her usual amount of lung power, "Worlds apart hearts broken in two, two, two."

Princess tried to hold back a squeal, seeing the boy in the striped sweater waver and shimmer, turning red and angry because he was being cancelled out by good vibes and glam rock.

Henry did say the girls could play whatever setlist as long as they worked the skits and tricks in.

"Sleepless nights," Izzy shouted with a song, "Losing ground, I'm reaching for you, you, you!"

"Feelin' that it's gone, can't change your mind," Princess said. Princess didn't really sing, more just talked with pitch and rhythm, "If we can't go on to survive the tide, love divides!"

She let her voice swell loudly and with more emotion than she ever would in a real conversation or at home. Princess had learned long ago how to fake it.

The girls fell into the rolling chorus with speed like a lockstepped stampede, trying to be the driving force to grab the imaginary audience. Princess looked over at Dollface on her left over the head of her guitar. Princess knew Dollface was thinking about Foxx.

But when she looked at Dolli Mae, Princess saw that she had that same dreamy and sad, almost angry look on her face. And Wolfie was looking forward, over her set, looking upset.

But why?

"Troubled times, caught between confusion and pain, pain, pain" Wolfie shouted over her drums. How she could still hear after nearly five years of the school's drum corp and other hobbies was beyond Princess. But she had to admit, Wolfie had been epic at Homecoming events as Dolli Mae cheered with her fellow cheerleaders. Princess may have drooled seeing her tall, willowy girlfriend in a miniskirt shouting about their school mascot.

Oh wait! Dolli Mae hadn't picked up on her line!

"Distant eyes," Princess shout-sang Dolli Mae's line, "Promises we made were in vain, in vain, vain!"

"If you must go," Dolli Mae sang. She always sounded like she had a head cold, maybe it was her size. It sounded pretty cool though, especially with the dreamy expression she had, "I wish you love, you'll never walk alone, take care my love, miss you love!"

Once again, they were rocketed into the chorus, Dollface's voice strong over Princess's power chords. Princess glanced at the boy behind the satisfied Henry sitting in a folding chair. The boy stayed where he was, skin sallow and stretched over thin bones.

After Dollface's drawn out ballad, they ended the song and looked at Henry expectantly. Princess shifted, wavering and angry child glaring behind wire-rimmed glasses with tight fists smoldering at her for taking his place.

Henry praised them.

Because that was what he did, and then they practiced a few skits and stunts.

And then they went home for the night.

Because that's what they did.


	38. Pennywise

"Dollface, can ya hand me t'flour?"

Dollface nodded and grabbed the flour and a butterknife, glad to help a fellow baker on the fine Friday night. Lilly smiled at her and took the items, scooping flour to level with a knife and dump into the bowl for mixing.

"Why don'cha help us, hun?"

"Isn't my job." Regina sniffed, "So why would I?"

Lilly pouted, "Cause it's fun!"

"Just like your tasteless way of rebelling?"

Princess walked into the Marlene family bakery's kitchen and stared at Regina, still leaning against the metal counter as far away from the actual baking as possible.

Princess blinked, then grabbed the bag of sugar. "I do not understand why you are like this, Regina, are you supposed to be from some rich and enlightened family?"

"Yes." Regina said, "But I also have class."

Princess rolled her green eyes and played with one of her mini pigtails, and pulled her hair blue back.

"Anyway!" Dollface said, insisting on killing tension, "What do you need next, Lilly?"

"Sugar and salt." Lilly smiled, checking the mounds in her bowl, "We have cinnamon, baking soda, and then we start on the wet ingredients."

Princess grabbed the sugar and Dollface grabbed the salt, both meeting back to measure out the needed amounts.

"And oil, three eggs, and," Lilly said, "Regina?"

"Yeah?" Regina looked up at them, wide, black eyes glaring and perfect black hair saying 'Runway' instead of 'bakery'.

"Can you grab the sourdough starter?" Lilly asked, pointing her home manicured hand to the jar of white goop on near the preheating stove.

Regina wrinkled her nose.

"Regina, can ya please just bring Trish over here?" Dollface pleaded. Regina rolled her wide black eyes and picked up the jar, carefully cradling it against her.

Without noticing it, time melted around them, changing Regina's blouse and shoulder pads to a crop-top and shorts, turning Lilly's afterschool dress from a pink and white to pale blue and gold. Princess's neon orange seater changed into a plain white hoodie, and soon, only Dollface remained the same by the time Regina made her sweet, slow way to the three girls.

"Ah, shit!" Dollface slapped a hand to her nose, blood running through her fingers like a gushing faucet.

"Oh sweetie!" Lilly dropped her whisk into her bowl of dry ingredients.

"It's fine, it's fine! Just been a while!" Dollface insisted, already leaving the kitchen.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Attention whore."

"Heard that!" Princess snapped with sudden emotion.

"What? It's true."

Princess started to shake a little, like when a toddler at her Mom's daycare was getting too rowdy. She looked like she wanted to throw the fashionista into an industrial standing mixture. He eyes were glazing over with ink.

"Okay!" Dollface shouted, back in the kitchen with a tissue on her nose, "Regina, we need t'get home. Now."

Regina dropped her tense eye contact and looked at Dollface standing angrily in the doorway. She set the jar on the counter and lifted her nose high in the air, and followed Dollface. Princess and Lilly both decided that they didn't like Dollface's little sister very much, and that they very much preferred their friend much better...

"Regina, why do you keep doing this? It's rude!" Dollface stepped down the porch, nerves completely shot as Regina marched down the back steps and to her sister.

"No it's not." Regina said airily, thin white leg goosebumping in the cold, "I'm just being honest!"

Dollface growled in her throat to keep from ripping someone's hair out. "Why do ya think it's okay t'do this?"

"Because I am a young lady, heiress to a fortune." Regina said, nose in the air as they walked along. Dollface grabbed her robin's egg blue bike and mounted it.

"So ya think that just 'cause yer all high an' mighty ya can be a bitch?"

"I'm not a-a," Regina said, not wanting to say the common vulgarity Dollface could say so easily.

"A bitch." Dollface said, backpedaling with a lurch to look at Regina with a stern glare.

"Why did you call me that?"

"Cause I'm honest."

Regina turned red under her Fenty Foundation in #110 and glared at Dollface. Dollface smiled. It could work for Regina at home or in fancy private academy, but here in Elmore, she was just some bitch with expensive taste.

Regina was one of many.

"This is why Daddy is giving me Funtum and not you!" Regina spat, airy waver to her voice now gone and replaced with ineffective venom.

"And that's why he's giving me all the good jobs and not you." Dollface said, "Ya wanna know what he does when no one's lookin'? Ya wanna know why everyone hates you?"

Dollface leaned in, subtly looking over Regina's shoulder at the permanent mud puddle on the street near the storm drain. "Cause you a weak-minded, insolent…. Bitch."

With a push and loud, heavy laughter, Dollface pushed her sister into the stinking puddle and pedaled all the way home, leaving her sister shivering and miserable and screeching in the street…

"Well hello!"

Regina squinted up into the milky sky.

"No! Over here!" A smaller voice. Regina tried to reorient herself in the puddle as she sat up.

"Well, hello again!" the deeper yet equally as annoying voice called again. Regina looked at the sewer.

"Want a balloon, birthday girl?" The man in the sewer held out a large, paw-like hand wrapped around the white coard of a red balloon.

"Who are you, exactly?"

"Well I'm Freddy! The circus bear!" The man smiled with perfect, square white teeth inset his jaw that didn't open like a mouth. His eyes were the same, too big and too blue, and sitting inside his face like he'd ripped it off of someone else's and put it on.

"And I'm Bon-Bon!" He raised his other arm behind the grate and a blue bunny puppet with the smaller voice piped up. It's buggy pink eyes stared empty at her, yet Regina felt watched more by it than the blond man in the pink and white tux

"Who are you?"

"Didn't we just tell ya?" The man said, mouth flapping stiffly and out of time to his words.

"No, I mean," Regina said, "Why are you here?"

"Because we are." The bunny said, googly eyes watching, "And we wanna talk t'you."

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Regina sniffed at the eccentric filth in the storm drain next to the stinky puddle that she was currently on her hands and knees in.

"Well, we just introduced ourselves, babe'girl, why not introduce yourself t'us?" The man said with a wide smile not quite his own.

Regina, never one to turn down the opportunity to throw her name around even when she was told not to, proudly declared, "I am Regina Olivia Lucy Claire Phantomhive, heiress to the Phantomhive company, Funtom Toy, Confectionary, and Novelty Co."

"Well, that's a real big name fer such a lil lady!" He drawled like he was reading a script, "Y'know what? I think we can be real good friends!"


	39. Oktoberfest

"C'mon Reggie, just hold it!" Dollface said from where she sat on the parade horse.

"Ew, no." Regina said, "And must you call me that?"

"Yep. Make's it easier, don't it?"

Regina glared.

"I'm glad ya fine'ly put on yer new clothin'." Dollface said, watching her sister get tangled in Blue-Ray's lead rope as Dolli Mae watched from her horse, Popcorn, and giggled.

Regina continued her flustered attempt to shyly grip Blue-Ray who'd taken only a single lurch forward and sighed to make her lose hold of the situation. "I wouldn't dare wear real clothes while handling such disgusting creatures!"

Sensing hurt pride and a lack of animal handling know-how, Dollface whistled loudly to signal a friend and said loud enough to notice but not enough to spook an animal that weighed up to a ton, "Hey Duke!"

Duke lumbered over in his full uniform badges and all. "Yep?"

"Hey Duke, can ya please help my sister with the lead rope?" Dollface asked the strawberry blond who was now nearly eye level with her.

Duke stooped over and grabbed the lead rope from Regina and showed her how to hold the horse, ending his explanation with, "Ya got it Reggie?"

Regina blushed and nodded, seemingly flustered and turned away, hand gripping the lead rope tightly.

"Thanks Duke. She's new!" Dollface laughed, looking over at Dolli Mae and her third oldest brother, Dominic.

"How's yer aunt?"

"Still _zaur_." Dolli Mae said, "I just hope she sweetens up in the light of the holiday!"

"Yeah," Dollface said hopefully, because every enemy was a friend not made, "It must suck being the niece of Ms. Simeon!"

"Oh _ja_! It's t'worst!" Dolli Mae said.

"Oh _mann_," Dominic nodded as he pulled under the Popcorn's chin to walk the giant horse forward. Regina followed along wit Blue-Ray, "Aunt Lucy gets worse when she's called a favorite player, 'specially t'us!"

"Why do you talk like that?" Regina asked.

"Like what, Reggie?" Dolli Mae asked. Regina looked over her shoulder at Duke standing and towered with Foxx in the mixed group of Eagle Scouts standing idle in their uniforms as they waited for their Scoutmaster Eustace to cue them. Regina and Dollface watched and sighed, then looked at each other with a glare.

Eustace adjusted his ascot as he stalked forward with his horn, the one he would inevitably use to wake up his grandkids with in the future, and played a few notes to tune with, the group of Eagle Scouts close behind.

"Okay, let's roll!" Eustace shouted as Regina led Blue-Ray in step with Dollface to the barn doors, waiting for them to open for the final day of Oktoberfest to start with a parade through the small town covered in the remains of blue and white decorations.

Dominic handed the lead rope up to Dolli mae and she looped it around the saddle horn, then rejoined his troop of wild boys. Regina hesitantly handed the lead up to Dollface. Dollface took it and expertly tied the rope, then grabbed the flag to hand Dolli Mae, then reached over to get her own.

Dolli Mae cued her and they rode into the street, one hand on the reins, other on the proudly waving flag of Germany.

That was around a week ago. Now Dollface was being beckoned back into her own room by some brat named Phantomhive, and don't you forget it.


	40. Kit n Caboodle

"I set it up, come in now!"

"Regina, what is goin' on in here?"

"My weekly styling update!" Regina said, as if everyone did that. "I'm almost at one million subscribers."

Dollface stepped into her room and inspected the camera on the tripod and the tables, along with her closet wide open and a backdrop in the small space.

"Wot in tarnation?"

Regina patted the seat next to her for Dollface to sit.

"Hello and welcome back to my channel. I would love you all to meet my sister from the states!" Regina recited, "She'll be doing my styling for today."

"I'm doin' what now?"

"You might know Dollface as Freddy Fazbear, that new celebrity sensation."

"Yeah, hi," Dollface said, looking at the camera, "What are we doin'?"

"You've never seen any of my videos?" Regina asked. Dollface shook her head, glad her nose had stopped bleeding.

"I saw like, what, half o' one an' thought that the little brat paradin' 'round looked like Jeffree Star's long lost niece and clicked away." Dollface said with a shrug, "Anyway, I never really watch YouTube that much."

"Well, you're going to be in one with me today." Regina said with satisfaction, "Let's start the interview portion then."

Dollface blinked, "What?"

"I like to interview the designer before we get started." Regina explained. "How did you get your inspiration for the Fazbear look? It says on your channel you do most of the makeup and ended up with costuming."

"Oh, this?" Dollface said, "I can do this. I got the idea for eyeshadow using the character's eye colors and swirled it from there."

"I love your holo looks for Chica and Bonnie, how did you accomplish those effects?" Regina asked.

"Corporate found an indie brand that sold genuine holo makeup." Dollface said, already knowing that this would be where random photos would get posted. "I just layered it over"

"And how did you do Bonnie the bunny's eye look? It's so stunning, but on a pale girl like her, red looks tacky!"

"Layerin', as usual." Dollface said.

"I heard you made all the costumes yourself!"

"We had help from a designer, but yes, we did." Dollface said, playing with the hem of her skirt. She'd had to change and get her makeup on in the bathroom after sleeping in the attic all week. Boy did Regina snore loudly!

Dollface didn't want to hog, but Regina took the bedroom as her private kingdom of Chanel and Fenty.

"I noticed you have a huge appreciation for eightie's fashion. How'd that come about?"

Dollface shrugged, "Cheap an' plenty in thrift stores."

"Well, anyway," Regina said, pushing away again, "Time for styling. You can choose whatever for me to wear."

"And you're trusting me because?"

"It's for a video!"

"Okay, chill!"

Regina gestured to the set with two chairs dragged in and Dollface grabbed her neon caboodle.

Later that day, after all the footage was sent to an editor in the UK, the Big City's news channel arrived for their interviews and a-day-in-the-life-of promotional arranged earlier in the week.


	41. Cutting Ties

Dollface smiled and pulled the puffy sticker collection out from under her bed with the box of ponies and Fairy Tail figures. She rummaged around the tub and pulled out a few velvety bunnies covered in that weird fuzzy pink stuff and bit her lip. Dollface hadn't gone through this box for a while, and a Sunday afternoon after a bad nosebleed in the attic was as good as any.

Should she bring this stuff downstairs to organize later and just start sleeping up in the attic? The wire frame bed was primed, she just had to retrieve a pillow and sheets for her old mattress to keep warm in. Would definitely be a step-up from Dolli Mae's older twin brother's old bunk bed that smelled like old feet, no offence given to Bob and Tom.

Dollface smiled, pulling out an unused pack of shrinky-dinks for She-Ra made by Funtum Novelty and Toy co. She pulled out a Pizza Party Board game she used to play at every sleepover with her friends.

She couldn't stand to look at it after the Fazbear incident.

Dollface tossed it away, letting it hit a slanted attic wall with a thump.

She was always pepperoni.

Always.

She turned to the pile of boxes on the wall and pulled the lid off, stomach lurching. A fuzzy pink ball. She unhitched the velcro and watched it explode into a hot pink alien thing.

Ew.

Why did she ever want a popples?

Dollface tossed it over her shoulder, not even satisfying it with her frustration at trying to get it into a ball shape. This would go to the Goodwill in Clockton with the board game too, she decided.

She then grabbed the kaleidoscope baton and watched the neon glitter swirl as she twisted the tube, then shrugged, throwing it into the pile, no longer amused by it. Oooh, Wildlife Treasury!

Dollface flipped the green box open, then decided the bent flash cards of animals just weren't for her anymore, then moved on to the round of tapes for Poochie, Barbie Rockers, and a 'Jem and the Holograms' recording.

Mmmmmm, she'd moved on. They weren't that great anyway, and Princess's mother could always use more toys for the daycare.

After several random charm bracelet charms Dollface should probably return to their rightful owners later, she found a few pound puppies.

She sniffed them and decided the daycare was for the best.

Dollface considered going back downstairs, but she still had another box she had to go through. She left the random charms and ponies in the box and kept looking through the one under it.

"McSnurd!" Dollface grabbed the Funtum Deluxe dummy and played with its mouth, then felt a little guilty. If she ever met her past self, she would kick the annoying little freak into orbit!

Mortimer McSnurd had obviously been placed up here for a reason…

Anyway!

Dollface rummaged through a collection of Babysitters' Club and Liza Frank paraphernalia, then stumbled across a bright yellow care bear with a sun on its belly. Dollface smiled and reached into the box, remembering it from two years ago. So what if she had just turned thirteen? She'd gotten it for her birthday, and slept with it for months. It was better than the lame Chanel purse Dad sent over with a Funtum rabbit stuffed inside any day!

Dollface unhooked the t shirt clip on the yellow paw and pocketed it in her overall dress. She'd need that later.

What to do with the care bear though?

Dollface hesitantly dropped it back in the box and started to stack what she wanted to keep back against the wall and pulled the first box onto the plastic covered bare mattress.

"Well hi Galaxy!" Dollface smiled, pulling out a pink pony with the big dipper on its ass and then a blue pony with a purple mane and Saturn on its butt. "Hello Night Glider! Are you enjoying your tea today?"

"What on Earth are you doing?"

Dollface jumped as Regina climbed the folding stairs to the attic. She wrinkled her nose in disapproval.

"I was just…"

"Playing? How sweet."

"Regina, when's t'last time ya played with yer dolls?" Dollface asked, holding up a bright pink unicorn with a cupcake on it's buttocks.

Regina looked at her.

"C'mon!" Dollface said, "It's fun!"

Regina tentatively stepped over and sat on the very edge of the crinkling bed and Dollface handed her Cupcake, then rummaged around the shallow box for another pony.

"Here, have Posey!" Dollface handed the girl across from her a yellow pony with pink hair.

Regina held it like it was something foul fished out of the trash. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen!" Dollface smiled, proud of how far she'd come in age before screwing up like her parents had.

"Fine." Regina sighed. She changed her voice range to mach Cupcakes and bounced the pony to show it was the one talking.

"Hello Gertrude, I'm Margeret."

"No," Dollface said, remembering all the names, "I'm Galaxy, and she's Night Glider. And you're Cupcake."

"Oh." Regina said, then louder and more demandingly, "It's my game, and I can name them what I want!"

"Okay."

"Hi Margeret, I'm Night Glider!" Dollface said, bouncing the Saturn pony, "Who's your friend?"

"This is Posey." Regina said, "And she's much better than your friends."

"Why?" Asked Galaxy.

"Because Posey has ugly red hair that is so curly it tangles." Regina made Cupcake say, "And she's fat too."

"Well, that's not very nice." Galaxy said, Dollface squirming.

"Yes, but when we're at school," Cupcake continued, "She's fearless. When the other girls put spiders and rats and sometimes snakes in my bed, Posey pulls them out!"

"Well, that's pretty nice…." Dollface trailed off, realizing she was learning more about Regina than she wanted to, "How about we go to Canterlot?"

And that's how they spent their afternoon, all until dinner. Dollface decided that maybe Regina wasn't so bad when she acted her more her age...

Edna snapped the red chord.

No, it wasn't good.

Edna was a matchmaker for the dead, and she decided that the two souls were completely incompatible after a few months of hard deliberation. She's almost immediately got a bad feeling in her stomach once the red strings were tied, and she knew that no, it wasn't meant to be.

Edna pulled out her shears and reached through the wheelbarrow of souls with old, wrinkled hands laced with blue veins and pulled out Vincinté and Margeret.

Margeret was in need of a whole new life once they sent this bale out for redistribution.

Edna was glad souls were separate entities from ghosts, that would've been a disaster!

Souls were what made people live and determined their fates, ghosts were the people themselves. It made Edna cry when a child like the ones at that nasty restaurant were killed and corrupted by such a horrible man. But she decided that like many mortals, Maggie would have to toil and suffer, but at least she would have the freedom to choose her own mates.

Now Vinnie on the other hand…

Edna smiled, holding up a cord of red and pulling him from the bale. She just wanted to keep him behind for now before the souls were recycled back in. The ghosts would hang around until vengeance or whatever, but Edna saw this as an opportunity. And she'd need another one to open up, like a near death experience to tie two souls with more red string.

And according to her monthly schedule, that was sometime soon…


	42. Skeletons in the Closet

Dollface stared at the triangular ceiling of the attic, not quite ready to get up as Grampa bugled his horn downstairs just to get a kick out of Regina's early morning squeals of annoyance.

Okay, fine.

Dollface looked over at the bear's head on the box she'd dragged over to use as a bedside table and smiled. She picked it up and rubbed it for good luck.

Dollface pulled out her pink and blue caboodle and began to select her eyeshadow. She rubbed in her concealer over her eyes and began to put down a layer of pink and gold, then mascara, finishing off with heavily lining her almond eyes.

She checked her Swatch Watch.

Six a.m.

She had time.

Dollface stood and tucked her blankets around her prized yellow bears. She'd decided last night that yes, she did still want the Care Bear and the golden Freddy plush together because they would be good friends because it was lonely up here, and wandered the attic.

She drifted into the dark corner of the attic that scared the poor little-big girl last night and rummaged in the perfectly organized boxes. Assorted army men, some lost Pokemon cards, a couple books and plastic bound Nat-Geos, and soon Dollface rocked back on her heels.

She was so silly, nothing was here!

No faces with burning eyes or rows upon rows of metal teeth that reeked of death and dripping with life had been smiling down at her from the darkest reaches of the attic. Dollface just had more imagination than most teenage girls in her town.

"Bear-Bear! What'cha doin' here?" Dollface giggled, seeing the golden bear sitting on a squat round box next to her left foot. She hadn't inspected this one yet. Dollface figured she must've brought the bear over and forgot she had put him down.

She picked him up and tucked him under a skinny arm, then decided that while she was here, Dollface might as well check the small box and kneeled down to inspect.

She flipped the lid open and looked into the hatbox.

Grampa's old hat and bullwhip from when he still worked on his family's cattle ranch in Kansas.

Dollface pulled the coil out and inspected the thick snake of braided leather. She could barely wrap her hand around the handle. But she did. It was worn away from where Grampa held it as a young man before leaving to be the first one in his family to go to college where he met Murial.

Murial was studying to be a teacher.

And she was, for a very, very long time, and was very good at it too, then she retired to be a tailor and have her own very, very successful shop.

Dollface pulled out the felt hat that fell over her eyes.

She giggled, then sighed, placing the whip and the hat back into the hatbox. She turned, then changed her mind, and tucked the hatbox under her other boney arm.

"Breakfast!" Gramma shouted from the kitchen that held the trapdoor to the attic. Dollface shoved the box under her bed and tucked the yellow bear next to the other one...

Regina climbed the staircase and found her place on the bus behind the gnarled and knobbly bus driver and tried not to gag at all the moles he had on his sun beaten neck and the smells of the vehicle around her.

Eighth grade in a public school sucked!

What kind of people could live in a place like Elmore!

Absolutely disgusting!

...Marnie sat next to Wolfie and Dolli Mae in the auditorium while waiting for school to start.

"Thank you so much fow letting me come ovew to youw house last weekend!"

"No prob," Wolfie said cooly, "Though I'd say ya should probably drop the babytalk. I know you can."

"Okay." Marnie smiled, voice lowering more naturally, "I'm just so glad you guys have been having me over- I'd never seen a real horror movie before you guys!"

"Obviously." Dolli Mae said, taking a bite from a granola bar, "Glad you've been having some good times for the past few weekends."

"Wanna come over to my house?" Marnie practically shouted. Wolfie and Dolli Mae looked over at each other around Marnie and exchanged a gulp and a glance…


	43. Lord of the Flies

Princess boredly raised a pencil. She watched it hover ominously, then caught Lilly watching her. Princess smiled, touching the floating pencil with a finger to vaguely steer it in a lazy spin and Lilly giggled.

Fourth period English.

God, was Miss Simeon a boring ape of a woman.

Everyone knew she and vice-principal Brown were secretly in an affair, mainly because they were really bad at hiding it.

Princess couldn't understand why they even needed a vice-principal, they town was too small to need one. Then again, there was a sudden increase in middle and elementary schoolers in the area to need a separate highschool. And Ma's daycare was getting a little fuller every day.

Oh well, not her problem.

Princess snatched the pencil from the air just as Ms. Simeon turned around.

"Something funny?"

"No, ma'am." Princess replied.

Ms. Simmeon watched her, beady eyes in a permanent glare, "I don't need attitude from you."

Princess replayed her reply in her head and couldn't find any trace of attitude in her voice, so she shrugged it off as Ms. Simeon continued on about Lord of the Flies.

Princess didn't understand the appeal, it was just a bunch of rich British boys losing their shit in the woods. If she was in that situation, there'd be an entire colony set up before the first sunset! If you just switched out the class or even added more diversity the whole situation wouldn't have happened, problem solved!

Dealing with Andy and Ollie at the daycare had taught her how to deal with insufferable little boys. The Popopavlich twins were just as stupid as a barrel of monkeys!

Just like the boys in Lord of the Flies!

And yet here she was, being told that this was how all humans would react in a situation like this!

This was dumb!

Princess had gone through this situation herself and knew that the whole plot was illogical! And if this is how all humans would act, then humans wouldn't exist.

Princess sighed louder than intended, and Ms. Simeon turned sharply from the board and glared.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Miss Cartmann?"

Princess blinked, mouth gaped open. "Well, since you asked."

Ms. Simmeon sat patiently and expectantly as Princess flustered out, "I think this book is really overrated. If it was a group of working class girls or maybe a mixture of kids, or even an indiginous group still close enough to their heritages-"

"Silence!" Ms. Simeon snapped in her usual screech, "You don't know anything about this!"

"How would you know?"

"Because! That's the curriculum. All humans devolve into animals in times of crisis!" Ms. Simeon insisted.

"Ms. Simmeon, I am sorry if I sound rude, but," Princess said, standing, "Do you have any service members in your family?"

Ms. Simmeon glowered and snapped her chalk in a bony hand.

"Well, I know from personal experience that this is not a blanket. Every human being is different based off of life experience." Princess stood next to her seat and glanced at Lilly. Lilly looked at her nervously and nodded for her to go on, "And you do not know what I have been through. I know for a fact because…"

Princess trailed off, not ready to air dirty laundry.

"Do go on, my dear." Hissed Ms. Simeon.

Princess sighed, "I do not want to talk about it right now."


	44. Stressed Out

**_Just a little longer, thought Springtrap, Until the shadows are real and I can have my revenge_**

!

Wolfie breathed in the freezing air.

Just another week or so until it was showtime.

God, she just loved walking the town at night like some scuzzy ol' alley cat, even when it was as frigid as it was tonight. Wolfie strut up the main drag and relished how alone she was. Thinking about the perfect boy and whistling a tune about bullfighters, Wolfie looked in the windows of the somber storefronts.

She had to check though, just to see.

Wolfie trundled to the old Joey Drew Studio and knocked on the weathered door stained with ink. She waited.

She counted to ten in English.

Then backwards in German.

No one.

Hah! Urban legends were fun, if not disappointing at times! Kids around town used to say that if you go to this old studio in the middle of the night and knocked three times, and ink demon would answer and turn you into a cartoon.

Still, Wolfie was disappointed. She turned and walked to the empty lot that was Freddy's just next door. Costumes would come in tomorrow. She was weirdly nervous about that. And then she had to hang out with Marnie at her place. Wolfie was actually kinda glad Marnie was around now, even if she really didn't want to admit it that much.

Wolfie sat down where she remembered the prize room had been, near the back. She remembered the big blue box with the pink ribbon and sighed.

Wow.

Things really had changed...

'_Oh, life is bigger. It's bigger than you, and you are not me_.'

Dollface stood on her roof in untied combat boots and her grandfather's old issued pants tied tight around her narrow waist. Her grandfather was a true Germanic man, being a little over six feet, making Dollface's blue sleeping pants or hiking pants, whatever they ended up as that day, as more of a loose sheet than a pair of slacks.

'_The lengths that I will go to is the distance in your eyes_…'

Dollface shivered, wishing the white cami was warmer or covered more, but after a few visits from Uncle Sebbie where he'd paced around her and looked her over, decided that this was her best flight gear. It wouldn't rip as easily.

Dollface sighed deeply, trying to remember every instruction she'd gotten, and let her thin shoulders fall in sudden nervous defeat.

"_Just think a happy thought, little wren_…"

'_Oh no, I've said too much_…'

Nevermind.

Dollface sat down on the roof tiles and tightly tied her shoes. She'd never done it without Uncle Sebbie before, even a few weeks ago, he'd pulled her away from Regina to place further instructions upon his niece.

'_I set it up_…'

She adjusted her headphones and checked the pocket for her walkman. After Dollface had blasted Metallica and AC/DC earlier in the week, Regina had complained loudly and pointedly until Grampa had stormed in to tell them to quit their bitchin'.

'_That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight_…'

So now Dollface was confined to listening to R.E.M. on her beaten walkman she got when she was twelve as her only birthday present, other than the customary rabbit she'd gotten from Dad shoved in a Chanel bag. Dollface had tossed the bag over her shoulder and put the Black Label Funtom Rabbit on her prized shelf of similar bunnies and ultimately forgot about it until Missy brought in a Shanelle bag last year.

"Just think a happy thought," Dollface said, stomach twisting like a bait can of worms.

'_Losing my religion trying to keep up with you. And I don't know if I can do it_…' She ran from her perch on the angled roof, nearly slipping on ice, then leapt into the air as light as a feather, thinking about her group of feral children running around the neighborhood, then watched as the golden tinged memory turned blue as she dropped like a rock to the ground below.

'_Oh no, I've said too much. But I haven't said enough_…'

"No." She whispered, watching her goosebumped skin bleed as she rolled onto her butt. What happened to that summer day?

'_I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing, I think I thought I saw you try_…'

The voice on her headphones on this freezing October night in 1991 sounded like tin as it resonated in her ears. She felt her gut twist up, trying to remember what happened to the feral girls that used to run giggling and screaming from the front door of Joey Drew Studios after knocking on the door.

She tried to remember where the group of girls went after they ran into the woods one summer night for her birthday and made a campfire only they knew about.

'_Every whisper of every waking hour, I'm choosing my confessions, trying to keep an eye on you_…'

Dollface hadn't even seen Thorne and String Bean since String Bean's last trombone performance and Mike Schmidt's funeral over the summer, and she wasn't even coming along for the ride in a week or two.

'_Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool_!'

What happened to the girl who hated her hair and got made of for being pear-shaped? What happened to the girl who overthought? What happened to the girl Dollface had given half of the cold friendship necklace now resting on her chest?

Oh yeah, she got a boyfriend a town or so over and decided she was too old for the fera tribe.

'_Oh no, I've said too much_...'

Dollface was always a fast healer, but after Mike Schmidt's funeral, that went haywire, and she could watch the cuts and bruises on her knees seal together under the weak moonlight.

What happened to the little blue haired princess who craved to have a princess of her own to have and hold, and love like a man would a woman? Where did she go? The princess who could kick ass on a video game console and dance like no one was watching, both with her eyes closed behind pink lenses?

Yeah, she got a few jobs around town with toddlers and her girlfriend's bakery.

_'I set it up, so consider this_…'

And the girl who was too intense for cheerleaders and too reckless for most of the other girls? Who liked knives and hunting, but wanted to see others succeed and live long? To nurse and nurture?

She got an uneasy aura and became one of the cheerleaders, even as Dollface could sense something just below the skin that was ready to burst out like an alien in one of her favorite movies of all time.

'_Consider this the hint of the century_…'

And what about the kid who was too intense, too angry, the one that made everyone nervous and didn't let anyone in until sixth grade when Dollface sat next to her and invited her to join a girl scout troop that still hadn't started up again for this current school year? Where'd she go?

She found a new girl to play with.

'_Consider this the slip that brought me to my knees, I failed_…'

Dollface bit her lip, now soft after years of nervous scabbing. She was probably turning blue, but her face was hot as a rock climbed up her throat.

'_What if all these fantasies come flailing around_?'

She'd noticed changes, changes that made her look more like her shitbag billionare of a father. Like a larger rib cage and was only leggier than even before.

Dollface hated how she looked like them.

And maybe that's why she dyed her hair hot pink, just so she wouldn't see him in the mirror every damn day.

So what if she was blonde and he was a brunette?

'_Now I've said too much_…'

Dollface shivered.

She remembered running around Friendly Bear's Pizza and Laser Arena with her friends before it all went down. Why did this happen? And why to them?

'_I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing, I think I thought I saw you try_…'

Dollface tried not to throw her head back and wail like a toddler and let herself scream and flail around, because she was a big girl now.

She was sixteen, old enough to legally drive.

Dollface got a frightful image of herself in the Funtime Freddy costume and on her bare knees, trying to hold her spilling guts in.

'_But that was just a dream, that was just a dream_…"

Dollface gulped the sob, making her esophogas burn in salty agony as she watched herself crying in the image burned in her brain. White stained red, that's what it had felt like that night when she'd crawled in the vents.

"That's me in the corner," she wailed with the shaking voice of the R.E.M. singer, "That's me in the spotlight."

No, no, no, this wasn't supposed to happen. Everyone, including her old neighbor Tanaka was gone.

"Losing my religion!" Dollface shook out at last, hot tears falling with the snot as she shook violently in the cold, wanting so badly to know when and why this all started. "Trying to keep up with you, and I don't know if I can do it."

Was it because she was born to a couple of wild teenagers, including one far from home and the other one who'd never had to face consequences now both trapped in a seemingly loveless relationship?

Dollface wished she'd never been born.

"Oh no, I've said too much, I haven't said enough," She tried to gasp out, but air and real words were gone. Had this all started when she'd watched as William and Henry waltzed into Friendly's like they already owned the place? She let out her big girl tears.

'_I thought that I heard you laughing, I thought that I heard you sing_…'

Did it start when she stupidly talked her feral friends into joining? Into working and singing, and laughing and playing? Was it because she stood idley by as children were horrifically killed like rats?

'_I think I thought I saw you try, but that was just a dream. Try, cry_…'

"Uncle Sebbie, I really, really, really need you right now!" She said, forgetting the feelings of betrail.

"Why try?" Dollface fell on her bare back on the crunchy grass, giving up.

'_That was just a dream, just a dream, just a dream, Dream, dream your dream, 'cause when you're awake, the nightmares will become truths_...'

Dollface sat up and fished her walkman from her overwhelmingly huge pocket and turned it off, crying over and done with. She nimbly climbed the barren flower trellis and into the attic through the teeny-tiny window. She crawled in and decided she'd rather not stay in the freezing black world and retrieved her toy to climb back down into her bedroom. Dollface stepped through the door after quietly wrestling the attic steps back into place and grabbed her yellow suit head.

Dollface lifted the starry curtain, warmth starting to make her physically hurt and leaned against the corner, hugging the golden plushie tight.

Regina was a light sleeper and awoke to the sound of her new closet being opened. She'd watched Dollface open the slatted white doors and grab the ugliest yellow mask and crawl under her.

Regina was convinced that there was a monster under her bed now, and told herself a story in her head about being saved by that strawberry blond she'd met at the tasteless Oktoberfest and guiltily thought about wearing the outfits in her older sister's stache.

She fell asleep shortly afterwards with a very satisfied smile...


	45. To Neverland and Beyond

...A friendly little community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Welcome to The Island of the Crying Children and Misfit Toys.

Capitán Zorro sat up on the dirt floor of the jungle fortress built into the trees around him and grabbed his hat with his good hand then pulled out a black leather glove. He shook his silver hook with a grumble.

"Capitán!"

A chorus of shouts echoed through the caves as Zorro stood on his booted feet with a grin.

That's my name, don't wear it out!

He vaulted up the ceiling and onto a wooden ladder made of sticks and twine to shimmy up a tree to march idly across a rope and plank bridge. There were hundreds of them all throughout the jungle connecting every tree and cave and the arches of rock.

"Capitán!"

More shouts that rang out over the hills called Zorro.

It was breakfast time.

The children, all younger than him dressed in stolen clothes and carrying pots and pans and dishes to a table with mismatched chairs and one wobbly leg long enough for a full army. Zorro watched them patiently below him before dropping down from a tree as they hurriedly set the table with chipped bowls and plates and mugs with missing handles.

Feral children, all of them.

Just like him.

"Capitán!" a little boy with dark violet hair always slicked back shouted as he slammed a steaming plate of nothing down.

Well, we might see nothing, but Zorro could see scrambled eggs piled high, fresh and yellow as well, scrambled eggs.

"Shaddup stupid!" a little girl around the same age as the violet boy in a ripped yellow dress and a dirt smudged pushed. She slapped down a plate of invisible bacon and then kicked him.

"¡Suficiente!" Zorro commanded, making the constantly bickering children quiet down. "Ahora es el desayuno, eso puede esperar."

"Yes Capitán!" The two said in unison, already scrambling to their places at the table. Zorro had to laugh.

Kids just needed attention.

Zorro fell into his place at the head of the table, an old Victorian chair everyone just accepted was his. He watched the lost children line up and sit in their places. They stared at him expectantly.

"Everyone ready to say grace?"

The children nodded and clasped hands under their sharp little chins. Zorro paused and waited for them to move. He waited, waited, waiting…. "GRACE!"

The children lunged, just barely caught off guard by Zorro's shout to attack the plates of food. Each child ravenously ripped flesh from bones and shoveled eggs into their already full mouths with the occasional burp of satisfaction.

Zorro watched them feast.

A boy with blue hair always slicked back because he found a shabby suit somewhere that had yellowed with age and thought he needed to match shoved bread down his throat with vigor as, a girl next to him with messy blonde pigtails and a fluffy yellow dress ripped and scratched from running in the woods chugged juice, and across from her was another girl with skin the color of dark chocolate and twists in her black hair tied with red, yellow, purple and brown ribbons clumsily consuming strips of bacon into her split mouth, and next to her was a child in a black turtleneck with flat iron straight black hair gnawing on a cleaned bone.

Zorro felt someone tug on his earring.

"Yes Maggie?"

The little pink fairy fluttered and flickered, bickering not words but sounds at him. Zorro unsheathed his sword and stabbed a piece of bread and ripped a tiny piece of the soft white meat and balled it up. Maggie took it and zoomed to an empty lantern next to him.

Zorro ate much slower than the children.They finished and ran from the table to wander the forts and play among fairies and trees. Zorro knew there were others, so many others, but where they were always eluded him.

"Bazinga!" Zorro shouted from his perch in a tree.

The lost children ran to him as he stood once more. They hooped and howled, because they'd get to play and cause mischief with Capitán Zorro, king of the lost ones!

Captain Foxy opened the doors of her cabin and sighed.

Ugh.

Not again.

With a war cry of 'bazinga,' the lost children in rags and random pieces of found clothing from their countless adventures arrived to play war again. Captain Foxy billowed her red coat that matched Zorro's around her and rolled her eyes, starting from her feet to the slight turning of her head full of caramel brown sausage curls that spilled from under her tricorn and over her shoulders like a mane.

Foxy was getting too sick to keep doing this.

"Hey, Foxy!" Shouted Freddy from the crows' nest, "What do we do?"

"Pull up the planks!" Foxy yelled up to the girl in blue and brown, pink hair falling from under a head covering, "Maybe they'll leave us alone today!"

"Aye aye!" Shouted Chica as she and Bonnie grabbed the wheel to roll the planks up.

Too late, the lost children were already up and on the ship.

Sword fighting into a standstill, Zorro smiled at Foxy.

"Why do ya keep showin' up?" Foxy asked, "We're gettin' real tired of it!"

Zorro took a well practiced swipe with his sword and she dodged, lunging forward. Well, now it was his turn to get trapped against the wall of the decadent wood and gold ship's lavish room.

Foxy's room.

Zorro Sheathed his sword and put up his black gloved hand, then his hook.

Foxy looked at him, green eyes darting over his dark face and black curls cut close in the back and left long in the front.

She tipped the blade under his chin as the pink ball of light shimmered from Zorro's red coat pocket.

"I'll cut ya a deal, son of rose."

"Get off'a me!" Freddy horse kicked the girl in rags and ribbons off of her. The girl, once bucked, screamed and flew into the kid ripping at Marionette's hair from under her bandana. They knocked together and went flying.

"Where are those damn foxes!" Shouted Bonnie around a dagger, "We need them now!"

She slammed her elbow into the blue-purple boy.

"Yeah, where are they?" Shouted Chica, pulling a girl in yellow off.

"If I gave you a kiss, would'ya leave us alone?"

"Okay." Zorro held out his good hand like he was expecting a jewel.

"You've gotta be kiddin' me." Foxy said, realizing he was expecting one of her treasures. She brushed away that annoying fairy. It latched onto her hair and tried to tug, but she gently grabbed it and cast it away.

"What?" Zorro asked, smelling her. Foxy looked him up and down, then stood up onto her toes and pushed against him. And he couldn't really complain.

Bonnie picked up her assailant with her eyes glazed over black and threw him overboard to swim with the mermaids below. He screamed and splashed. "Next!"

Chica hoisted the girl into the air and started walking a plank, holding her out to drop her into the sea below.

SPLOOSH!

Chica giggled and waved at the dirt-smudged princess. Probably the kid's first bath in weeks.

"My turn!" The Marionette threw her kid overboard with a swing as Freddy climbed the rope to get away from her girl, not too far behind.

"You're cold."

"Yeah, what about it?" Foxy snapped, feeling very chilly against what felt like metal under a costume. The fairy screamed and tried to rip a lock of tight Victorian curls, but Zorro flicked Maggie away from Foxy.

Freddy swung from the mast with a hoop and a holler, feeling the air rushing to get out of her way. Newton's Law circled her back around and she plucked the girl from the net they swung so high, high above the world and for a moment she forgot that she was just a human.

She loved flying.

Freddy dropped her aggressive passenger into the sea of Neverland and laughed, still swinging...

Dolli Mae stopped writing the short story for English Lit, trying not to fall asleep.

This story sucked, no rhythm or prose, no real plot.

She ripped it up and tossed it into the steadily overflowing trash can of crumpled drafts and started again.

Dolli Mae was too sick to do this. She had her next appointment up in the Big City for the lump in her breast she hadn't told anyone about yet coming soon, and tomorrow was the deadline for this stupid story.

She knew her aunt would get upset.

Her aunt was just like that.

Aunt Lucy one time said that no one would like her only niece because Dolli Mae was too rough for anyone to settle with her.

"Lights out Dolli!" Shouted her third oldest brother from his room, shared by all the younger brothers. The oldest, a pair of twins were gone, leaving Dolli Mae with her own room.

"'Kay Dominic!" She shouted, lifting the needle from the record player her dad the county bailiff had as a kid. She sighed and pulled the newest story back out and uncrumpled it. It was the only one she felt could come to Ms. Simeon's requirements.

The others included a story about a Navy nurse meeting a Navy Engineer and one about a furry little spaceman that wandered the universe with a talking blue horse. Neither had been any good, and Dolli Mae just couldn't get into any of them like the one about the lost children and the pirates. She felt like she'd been there!

She uncrumpled them and stumbled into the dark hallway with the papers with red scribbled added overtop for hurried editing and found the family typewriter. No one could really afford a real computer and printer setup in the entire town, so Dolli Mae could make do.

She eventually got to bed around three, confident enough to turn the rushed assignment in.


	46. Special Delivery

"Aha!" Henry dragged the unopened boxes out with an enthusiastic grin and placed them on the table, "Girls, you ready for your new and improved costumes from corporate?"

It was like watching a little boy on Christmas morning. The girls gathered around restlessly as he pulled out his box knife and sliced it into the cardboard carcass. Henry sliced his hunt open and the girls anxiously peered in.

Henry advanced the carton forward to Wolfie. She gripped the box and began to remove the article wrapped in blue tissue paper tied with a pink bow.

It felt like Christmas.

Dolli Mae accepted her parcel next, she examining the notecard with her name on top of her blue and pink package. No, packages. This was nerve-wracking.

Princess snatched hers up once sliced open and gingerly laid each kit out in a flawless, even line by size and counted them.

Izzy was close behind and welcomed one of the wrapped specimens to her chest with a delighted squeal.

Dollface collected hers last.

Henry slid it to her with a fatherly smile. Charlie, his daughter, giggled and squealed as he plucked her from the floor, watching Dollface open the flaps of her box the postman had dropped off at the community center while they were at school.

Dollface gulped, removing the little card with her corresponding character's name on it.

Rockstar Freddy Fazbear was emblazoned in gold on the card covered in little specks of triangular confetti in rainbow colors. She searched about the room to the other girls merrily tearing open their new costumes.

Dollface took Princess's lead and laid her new clothes out on the table in a line.

"Yo," Wolfie said, holding up a spandex one-piece with built-in gloves, each finger embellished with a jingle bell. She pulled out a pair of matching stiletto elf shoes.

"Tacky." Regina said, noticing the curly toes with twin bells on them.

Dollface cut the impulse to slap her sister.

"Oof." Wolfie said, pulling on a sheer black panel in the side. She reached into the box and unwrapped her new gleaming mask encrusted with red and blue glitter. Wolfie abandoned her suit on the table and snapped the mask on. "Better than the old one! Definitely not a craft store mask."

Regina rolled her eyes.

"Reggie, be nice." Hissed Dollface.

"OOH!" Dolli Mae shrieked in glee, "A corset!"

Dolli Mae pulled out a plum corset covered in silver stars and tittered to herself, toying with the hooks and ties. She picked up a stuffed parrot, an eyepatch and a shiny new hook, right under her old brown shorts and altered red coat. She hugged the coat to herself, more attached to it than usual.

Dollface could see something was off about the small, unnoticeable gesture, but whether it was a good change was up to deliberate later. Right now, Dollface was trying not to dance in uneasiness.

Izzy reached into her box and ripped the paper off of her new yellow…

Crop top?

It was tiny!

"Izzy?" Henry asked, "Do we need to send-"

"No!" Izzy said, "It's fine! I haven't even put it on yet!"

Izzy smiled assuredly, and looked at the triangular cheerleader top and dropped the shirt announcing, 'Let's Party!!!'

She pulled out the mini-mini-mini-skirt and gulped as she watched the lavender stripe at the hem march forward. She checked the inside and sighed in relief, seeing the black spankies underneath the v-shaped waistband.

"Wait," Izzy said as she dumped the box. A fuchsia tambourine and a pair of bright orange heels tumbled out with a pair of neon pink lace anklet socks.

"Izzy, do we need to file a complaint to coperate?" Henry inquired, holding Charlie tight.

"No, none of us have tried our costumes on yet." Insisted Izzy, really just wanting as little trouble as possible. "Your turn, Princess!"

Princess rubbed her hands together and unwrapped a pair of blue bunny ears.

"Oh yeah." She said in triumph afterwards, then carefully freed a new pair of shoes. No more dusty purple wedges, she had a matching pair of socks and heels to Izzy, but in candy blue and purple.

Princess giggled and pulled a lavender crop top with a built-in red bowtie.

She looked incredulously through her coral lenses at the v-shaped bottom hem and the big, poofy white sleeves, and then the matching skirt with the v-hem and a yellow stripe.

Henry shifted his weight nervously and Charlie giggled, unaware of her father's discomfort.

Dollface looked at her line of blue and pink packages lined up and ready to march across the table.

She untied the pale pink ribbon and tentatively placed her hand onto the package. The ribbon implied to internally scream as it was slowly unwound and pulled the band away like she was gutting an animal with her black eyes and sharp face solemn.

"Slow down," Regina said, "Ya don't want to injure yourself."

Dolli Mae pulled a pirate hat from her box and slapped it on her head.

"Shorts."

"What?" Henry asked, stooping.

"Shorts" Dollface repeated, pulled them from the blue tissue paper.

Henry looked like he was gonna drop right there.

Dollface held up the little onyx spandex hot pants with a royal blue stripe on the bottoms and a high waistline. She felt like joining him on the floor.

"Check the next one, I need t'know!" Izzy insisting, panic rising.

A top hat.

A Tie.

A blue crop top with the v-hem and poofy white sleeves, and a pair of brown patent leather heels with lacey white socks.

She flipped the heels over.

"Oh finally, you own something with decent taste, cheap as it is." Regina said.

"What do ya mean?" Dollface inquired, trying not to step away from where her sister was craning over her shoulder.

"Louboutins. Christian Louboutins." Regina said, pointing at the red souls.

Princess and Izzy instantly picked up their shoes and gaped, seeing the scarlet bottoms.

"Seems like someone wanted t'make up for your…" Regina wavered, looking for the right words, "Dreadful new wardrobe."

"Girls," Henry said, putting the fidgety toddler down to run free, "Do we need to send these back to corporate?"

"No, it's fine!" Dollface insisted. She just didn't want trouble anymore. Trouble caused already bad situations to become worse.

"Okay…" Henry said, then pulled out a letter, "They have a few extra instructions."

He held out the note for anyone to take, and Dollface accepted it, stuffing it in with the clothing as the other girls were cramming their own clothes in the boxes.


	47. Recess

The couples danced in the Phantomhive Manor's ballroom.

Ciel Phantomhive needed these parties for his livelihood. He could care less about the actual guests, and dancing, while something he finally learned to do after many, shifting years, was not his preferred hobby.

His wife and daughter, what he preferred to think of as his only daughter, very much enjoyed running about, flitting from millionaire guest to kiss-up millionaire guest.

This was also how Ciel Phantomhive got information on cases, and more often than not, by attending these sorts of fine Victorian gatherings.

The singer in the corner hired by Ciel's butler Sebastian sang with a small string quartet. Light, airy, easy listening to help move along mergers and trusts. Sebastian was good at scouting for talented nobodies that could benefit his master.

Dollface stumbled away from the entrance to the ballroom and bent backwards in pure awe of the grandness of high painted ceilings and real crystal chandeliers.

What was this place? Were?

Dollface spied the singer and the quartet, including the bass player.

Well hello there, bass-eee….

Nice musician too, I guess. And the singer was dressed pretty damn fancy as well.

"What the devil are you doing here!?"

"Reggie?" Dollface blinked her black eyes, startled by her little sister appearing next to her in a pink dress with rosettes and bows, and even a matching pink hat. "Can you even breathe in that?"

"Yes." Regina said, tipping her head of straight, blac hair back like she was trying to rub in the fact that she had waist-length ponytails and her sister didn't. "Can you?"

"I-I guess?" Dollface tugged on her blue bodice over the flowey white silk blouse feeling the whalebone dig into her. Regina grabbed the black and white striped bow on Dollface's cravat that matched her own bows and tugged with abhorrence at the similarities.

The music changed and of all people, Duke was released from the crowd of dancers and bowed to Regina as invite.

Regina smirked at Dollface and swirled away with her invitation.

Dollface scowled, then watched the perfectly trained groups of faceless adults in high-fashion Victorian garments.

"_I was too young to see the truth_," The singer started, chest rising in her dress. Dollface brushed at her white skirt that flowed around her. "In my grandma's lap, I'm drowning in her perfume."

She rolled up the sleeves that billowed around her arms and cinched at the wrists and almost completely covered her hands to hike the skirt up. No one noticed the black work boots under the long skirt even when raised several inches.

"_Too naive to even care_," Dollface counted the waltzing three beat that she was so good at playing and stepped in time to the drink table. "'_Bout the words she whispered while she brushed out my hair_."

Dollface stood next to the exquisite tower of wine chalices and small finger foods. A set of triplets with what appeared to be purple hair lifted up trays of food to serve after depositing empty ones.

"Well 'allo there dearie!"

"_People gonna say, if you need a break, someone'll take your place!"_ The singer kept singing as the creep with silver hair that covered his heavily scarred leaned in, messy black cloaks reeking of chemicals. _"People gonna try to tell you that you're fine with dollars in their eyes_!"

"Who are you?"

"Me?" He said, leaning back, insane smile full of little white triangles still plastered into his beaming face. He looked like he hadn't seen natural sunlight in over a week. "Well, I'm the Undertaker if course. And who might you be?"

"..._Just remember, don't let them screw you, honey_..."

"Me?" Dollface asked, very uncomfortable. His hands were covered by his sleeves like hers were. "I'm, uhh…"

"Nevermind dear little girl!"

Dollface tried not to cower at the Undertaker or laugh at his weird accent coupled with clownish voice.

"_Don't let them try, don't let them hurt you, baby_…"

"Don't worry about that old creep!"

Dollface spun on her heel to see a man? Woman? Person? In a bright red dress and thick glasses.

"Grell." They put out a manicured hand and smiled with that same sharp smile. "Grell Sutcliffe."

"_Just say, 'Recess, I'm tired_!'"

Dollface took the hand.

"I see your the next little doggie," Grell said. They looked over Dollface's shoulders and gasped, "Bassy!"

"_Sittin' in my room, looking at all I've done_…"

Dollface turned again and saw Uncle Sebbie walking through the crowd, only to get tackled by the stringy someone with red hair.

"_Everything I wanted has come to fruition_..."

"Grell, could you please restrain yourself for once?" Uncle Sebbie said, peeling Grell off of him. "Hello, little wren."

"Hi, Uncle Sebbie."

"_I should be happy but I can't get out of my bed_," Sebbie grabbed Dollface's hand and pulled her away in a waltz to join the crowd. She tried not to trip up.

"I usually don't dance with the master's daughter, but I think this is an appropriate occasion." Sebbie looked over his shoulder at Grell and the Undertaker and said calmly, "We meet in the breaker room."

"_Stressin' 'bout the voices screamin' inside my head_..."

"Breaker room?" Dollface asked as Sebbie pulled her into a turn.

"Yes." He said, "Natural turn, darling, I'll teach you as we go, just like flying."

_"People gonna say, if you need a break, someone'll take your place_," Dollface was danced away from the faceless singer and her equally as unplaceable quartet. "_People gonna try to tell you that you're fine with dollars in their eyes!"_

"Uncle Sebbie, where are we goin'?"

"To the breaker room."

Dollface wanted to let go, but felt herself tied to her uncle the giant. Oh, how much she wanted to let go and fix her tiny top hat or escape into the faceless, nameless crowd. She caught a glimpse of Regina and Duke, but she was turned away.

"Just remember, don't let them change you, honey, don't let them try," The singer pierced through the crowd of murmuring dancers, "_Don't let them hurt you, baby_…"

"Hello little wren of the night in sheets of silk white!"

"Aliestor Chambers," Sebbie regarded.

"Dear butler Michaelus, may I cut in?"

"Uncle Sebbie, what's goin' on?" Dollface squeaked out.

"Just say 'recess,I'm tired'." Uncle Sebbie whispered to her as he handed her over to the Goblin King wannabe in a white suit.

"_Where is my time? Gone in my mind? Gone, I can't find_."

"You are as beautiful as a night star." Her new partner said, hands a little too close to her lower back.

"Um, excuse me sir, but can you please move your hand a little?"

Too late, the creep was babbling about her beauty and something that sounded kinda gross and extremely age innapropriate.

"_When I get upset, I think in my head, 'I do as she says_,'" The singer twittered as Dollface was forced to dance with this man in white and tried not to just break his face as his hand slipped further down her back. She tried not to show her physical revolt as he continued on.

He positively looked like a knock-off Goblin King!

_"People gonna say, if you need a break, someone'll take your place_!"

"Sir, I don't like this very much." Dollface said, "Can you please stop touching me like that?"

The viscout ignored her.

"_People gonna try to tell you that you're fine with dollars in their eyes_!"

"_MISTER_ Chambers." Dollface snapped, cutting into his ode to the night birds, including a robin and a blue jay, probably other girls he'd danced with at some point.

"Yes, wren?"

"_Just remember_…."

"I need to find my uncle." Dollface said, sharply, but quieter than previously.

"Why, my little wren?" he asked, getting closer.

"Because I need to talk to him."

"_Don't let them fuck you, honey, don't let them try_," Dollface tried to push away, but found herself trapped.

"Why not me?" He asked, icy eyes narrowing, fish lips twisting like it wanted to scowl or maybe even smile.

"Because."

"_Don't let them hurt you, baby_," Dollface tried to glance over Aleistor's shoulder.

Aleistor tried to press in closer, but she squawked and kneed him in the crotch, saying, "Recess, I'm tired."

Dollface ripped herself free once he was on the floor, lifeless dancers already encompassing him.

Dollface wasn't sure what she was expecting of a breaker room, which she had escaped to would be other than a place full of crackling electronics or sleeping boilers, but it appeared to be a billiards room.

She closed the door behind her, trying to stay silent in the semi-darkened room and sighed, then jumped when she hit a creaky floorboard.

"Hello, wren."

Dollface looked around the room.

Fine silk pillows were piled high on a loveseat and a man in traditional Chinese clothing reclined with a highly ornate pipe and his girlfriend.

The two crazies from earlier were across from him on the other side of the heavy wood pool table quietly whispering to eachother as a man scowled over them, standing like a strict, straight broom, long, sloped nose in the air. He took off his glasses and wiped them on a cloth procured from a suit jacket pocket.

Sebastian stood in a corner with a round tray of small wine glasses balanced on one hand, other behind his back with a spotless white rag. He was the only one in the entire room who saw her at all.

And Dollface woke up, face down and drooling in her math textbook, wishing she knew the ending to that story.


	48. Imagining Dragons

Regina would never admit it, but she was jealous of the preening and prawning over the costumes.

She was another week, give or take a few days, closer till Regina could leave this hellhole of weird weather and disgusting people.

Dollface seemed both relieved and nervous as the calendar was slashed with a black marker to count down the days until Halloween.

"I bet ya can't wait till Halloween, dearie!"

Regina looked up at the old lady who had made her peel potatoes and carrots all week and watched the woman smile into her steaming cup of subpar tea.

"I've never celebrated Halloween before." Regina said, thinking that if the strawberry blond reintroduced by the name of Duke would call her Reggie as he danced with her at one of her father's grand parties.

She'd wear her Dior evening gown with the beaded sleeves and the collar that flattered her oval face with big, round eyes. And Chanel number five, which she truly believed made herself completely irresistible to any and all men.

Duke would lovingly call her 'Reggie' as he swirled her across the ballroom, and best of all, Dollface would watch in her tacky dress covered in glitter Ciel had shown Regina before coming to this land of poo and fume all night because Regina had won the prize. It was so much better than that crazy old man she was somehow related to blowing a horn at 6am every morning. Regina hoped whatever Eustace had wasn't genetic.

She was rudely interrupted from her daydream once more by the old crone of Cowatch.

"Ya really never been trick'er treatin' before?" Mrs. Cowatch looked almost concerned as she flipped the hissing bacon.

"Well, there's no need to." Shrugged Regina.

"Reggie, that's terrible!" Gramma said, "Even m'daddy let me go 'til I was fifteen and had t'babysit!"

"But what's wrong with that, Gramma?" Regina said, not noticing the word that had fallen from her mouth. Gramma smiled and dropped her fork in the sizzling skillet and hugged Regina tight.

"Reggie, my babe'gurl, if I ever got my hands on that daddy o'yers, he'd wish that he could do it aaaaall over again!"

...Izzy finally sat at her desk in accounting class and sighed heavily.

She was so glad she'd taken Ben's advice, because now Prissy Missy Custer, the bane of Izzy's existence was out of her curly hair and in remedial pre-algebra and permanently banned from the A program.

And Izzy had taken her place in the program.

Law accounting, here she comes!

...Dollface looked at the new paint set sitting in her cold, translucent hand. If she wanted to, Dollface could count each vein. She hadn't really noticed that she could earlier, but even if she had, she wouldn't care too much.

The only reason they had new supplies was because Regina had shown up.

Dollface stared at her painting on the easel. Her next class would be orchestra, were she'd play an upright bass with two other kids, including Duke.

That program wasn't being funded.

The other bass player, Axel, had a bass in her, no wait, his bass and it had been there since the graduating class of 1962 had played it.

They even had pictures!

Rosin was always short, and bows were being shredded to a single horse hair. You'd think that the amount of animals, including horses, would be enough to at least replace a cello bow.

Dollface looked at her canvass standing on the upright easel by the window and sighed, feeling like she was tripping on air. She had been, at some point.

Dollface didn't really know anyone in this class, not really. Her friends weren't in art or orchestra, and they had different class schedules anyways.

She'd had another nose bleed this morning. Dollface thought they'd stopped being so frequent and aggressive, but they plagued her once again.

She popped her wireless red earbuds she'd saved money from working summer jobs at Daisy's and Haddonfield Hank's in and tried to start painting again.

"We are all living the same way, we are escaping the same way, circle in…" Dollface muttered with Dan Reynolds, watching the white paint swirl in calligraphy on a bright, minty blue-green canvas.

'_We are a part of the same play, we think we're making our own way, circle in_…'

Dollface sighed, looking at her painting for the word art unit. She'd need to make the swirling letters look 3D somehow...

'_You don't have to hold your head up- Round and round_!'

Dollface felt compelled to leave. To run away, far away, but where to?

'_I won't run away this time, 'till you show me what this life is for.._.'

She was being silly, running didn't solve anything!

'_Round and round, I'm not gonna let you change my mind, till you show me what this life is for._..' Dollface sighed, that need to leave pulling on her. She wanted to live, to fly, but she was scared she'd fail and die.

Her hands were coldly gripped on the wood handle of the paintbrush.

'_We are afflicted by fiction, building a case for eviction, circle in_…'

She looked down at her feet. She really needed to shine her shoes, they looked disgusting! Good thing it's a half day today, she could shine her boots nicely and play in the corn maze with Thorne and String Bean afterwards.

"Guarding a tower of ancients, shooting down arrows of patience and patiently circling…" She squeaked out, seeing that she was standing on a black tile instead of the grey ones covered in dropped and spilled paint. She glanced at the paper plate characters made by the elementary schoolers down the hall.

Only one art room to share with the rest of the world, it seemed.

'_You don't have to hold your head up_-'


	49. IRL Shinies

Regina stepped onto the screen porch.

It was hot.

Real hot.

Hot from the loudly buzzing space heater in the corner of the room.

She looked at her flip-flops, something she'd never thought she'd ever wear and then the green astroturf placed by Eustace back in the sixties before going off to 'Nam, as the townsfolk referred to it.

Regina thought it had been a pointless affair all in all, the Americans just shouldn't have gotten involved.

Easy as that.

"What are you doing?"

Dollface looked up from where she was hunched over a boot in a cheap plastic lawn chair, grease smeared on her forever cold hands. Being touched by Dollface was like being touched by a corpse.

"Shinin' m'shoes."

Regina followed the greased brush and Dollface's frigid hands gripped tightly on the wooden handle with more intensity than needed.

"How?"

"What?" Dollface stopped scrubbing and looked up at her sister.

"I've never actually done that before."

"First laundry, now this?" Dollface asked, slapping the boot onto the work table. Regina wrapped a hand long overdue for a manicure around the chain for the woven blinds and listened to the hum of the space heater.

Dollface stood up in her baggy blue pants and tight white cami. She shuffled in place on the astroturf and her purple, pink, and blue socks stuck to the green fuzzies like velcro.

"You really are useless."

Regina watched Dollface, the older and shorter of the two stride past her and up the little step to get into the kitchen.

"Ya comin'?"

Regina, feeling homesick from the rainy, grey weather, didn't put up a prideful fight and followed Dollface into the only bathroom.

The bathtub was full of mud and little pebbles and chunks of crusty grass.

Regina looked at Dollface, not sure what she was being shown.

"Sit." Dollface ordered.

"Why?"

"Just do." Dollface said, chewing mint gum. Regina itched for her cigarettes but remembered last night's smoke was her last one. It was either cold turkey or cheap Marlboro's from the sticky gas station from now on.

Regina was barely taking it already.

"On the lid?" Regina wrinkled her perfect nose. Well, not perfect, when she was older, she'd get it fixed by the best surgeon in the world.

"_Ja_." Dollface said. Regina dropped onto the porcelain lid and had a dirty towel thrown at her. Dollface picked up a scrub brush and knelt into the bathtub with her other crusty boot and scrubbed with a hard bristle brush under the loud running water.

Regina made a mental note to not take her long luxurious soaks anymore.

Little pebbles flew from the grates on the treads and dirty water poured away, revealing a wet shoe. Dollface lifted the still dripping shoe up and tossed it onto Regina's blanketed lap.

"Ew," She snarled.

Dollface gave her a look, thin, bare arms across her chest.

Regina wiped the boot down and held it with two fingers by the laces, now de-mudded and scuffed.

Dollface snatched it.

"Why are ya werin' m'sweater?" Dollface asked without emotion as she stalked to the back porch.

"'Cause I liked it." Regina said, nose in the air. She wasn't used to Dollface playing the straight man. And definitely not the flat voice, "Do schools here have half days often?"

"_Ja_."

Regina looked at the green astroturf, "Oh."

Dollface slammed the boot on the folding table and plopped down into her chair, then gestured at the other beige seat across from her. She slid a brush to Regina and said, "Rub grease on, then scrub the boot down. I'll tell ya what to do next."

Regina started to gently buff the black polish, not really sure if it was correct and watched Dollface hunch over her shoe and hum around her gum.

"What are you humming?" Regina asked, voice too small for a queen like her.

Dollface shrugged, "Dunno."

"Are there..." Regina looked at the boot sitting in the towel on her lap, "Are there words?"

"Maybe?" Dollface said, "I feel like I remember it from somewhere, but I don't know where…"

"Try?" Regina asked.

"That's good." Dollface said, "Wipe it off."

She tossed a soft rag covered in stains and Regina tentatively plucked it up. Were there any good nail salons here?

"I really wanna hear the words though…"

"Okay." Dollface said, rubbing her boot down with a cloth. "Survival of the richest, the city's ours until the fall. They're Monaco and Hamptons bound, but we don't feel like outsiders at all."

Dollface thought a bit, long chain of memorized words falling from her mouth in a harmonious flow, then picked up again, "We are the new Americana. High on legal marijuana, raised on Biggie and Nirvana, we are the new Americana!"

"Huh." Regina said. "Wonder where you heard it."

"Maybe MTV or whatever." Dollface said, constant emotion seemingly gone forever, then she said with so much excitement in her voice, "Are you excited t'go t'the corn maze?!"

She tossed a soft brush over to Regina and said, "Make 'em shine!"

Regina was still surprised that anyone could be entertained by only three channels, which included local news, religion, and a single UHF station, but the thought of corn becoming a local tradition was actually insane!


	50. New Kid on the Block

"I don't like that new guy."

"And why's that?"

"I don't like him." Logan repeated more insistently, "We're here, they don't need a third."

"Youse gotta point, Boy." Joe looked over his shoulder at the new janitor, Dave Miller.

Dave Miller looked like he'd been sick for a year or lost lots of weight in a short amount of time.

"This mean we gettin' sacked?" Logan asked, pulling off his grease smeared glasses to clean them on his purple coveralls.

" I dunno…" Joe said, unspoken rules between him and coworkers already kicking in, "Boy, there is a lot to learn in this world, and some things we won't know until it slaps us in the face and happens."

"Pops, I need this job. It pays well, better than at the toy location I worked at fer a while, I can't lose this." Logan confided, "Rent's due t'morrow."

"We all have our problems, Boy." Joe said, "We have our own sins an' needs an' problems."

"Well hello, Paw." Dave had finally found the conversation near the boarded-over emergency exit of the horror attraction. Joe glared, secret rules breached.

"Where you talking about me?" Dave asked, not seeing the glare, "I'm sorry if I'm causing any problems, Pops."

Logan gagged as Dave put an arm around his doughy shoulder and grinned in a cloud of men's cologne. Logan pushed him off, and Dave snatched at the overweight loser's messy brown hair. Logan, not one for being touched in anyway, pushed his new coworker away from him and his hair.

No one could ruffle his hair.

No one.

Not even his actual father.

Dave furrowed his brow and looked at the younger man with concern, "You okay bud?"

"Yeah, I am fine." Logan flatly insisted. Dave's wide, toothy smile never faltered as Logan ducked under Dave's arm to join Joe.

"The boy needs some space." Joe said, then turned his back to continue with his shift. They'd found a stache of crusty, waterstained porno mags under the heavy wood desk and Joe would need Logan to help lift the heavy wooden desk.

They would call Grant, man of musule, but the guy had gone from dayshift guard to night time watchman last week and left, shouting 'Fuck this, I'm joining the Marines!' and promptly turned in his papers.

Dave followed jovially behind them, standing at the office's bulletproof window to watch and fog up the glass. Damn, Joe would have to clean that up too.


	51. Dandy Lions

Thorne dumped out her purse.

Well, it was more a giant bag like the ones 'Mommies' from the Big City carried around that she'd found in the basement that she and String Bean carried around, but to her, it was a purse.

String Bean swam over in the Zero-Gee room and started plucking the lazily drifting sunglasses from the air.

"One, two three, fooouuurrr," String Bean drawled, "Five six, seven-eight-nine..."

"Would'ya quit with the sunglasses?" Thorne snapped as a hovercraft with cargo roared overhead.

"But I like them!" String Bean said, "And I catch ya wearin' em too!"

"Quit yer whinin'!" Thorne snapped, "Ooh, I like these!"

"I think they're Dollface's." String Bean snatched them from out of Thorne's hand and turned the rose gold aviator's around and around. The world melted from one full of spaceship pieces and pictures of the galaxy with a mix of posters for villains like Lord Hater and Emperor Awesome to a normal teen girls' room.

Thorne caressed a pale hand against the teal shag rug and started sorting the sunglasses, candy wrappers and finally grabbing her wallet. String Bean smiled, seeing a Welcher's Caramel still in it's gold wrapper.

String Bean happily tossed it in the air and caught the sweet and salty treat in her mouth.

Her Uncle Mike used to give them out as Christmas presents to his favorite people, which included String Bean's friends.

She missed that tall dork of an uncle.

When he came home with a wife after being a Military Policeman for several years, he liked to put String Bean and her brother Bart on his broad shoulders and carry them around the town for the hell of it.

The taste of the Welcher's made String Bean's mood go bittersweet, but she bounced back quickly, seeing a furry headband on the rug.

"Hey! There's my ears!" She snatched up a fuzzy blue headband with wolf ears and a pink inner lining and put it on with a triumphant grin.

Thorne quietly smiled and pulled her perfectly parted black hair away from her face, enjoying String Bean's company. She stood with an armful of sunglasses and walked to her dresser, tall enough to need to bend over put stuff on its blond countertop. She set each pair of glasses, each in row by color and straightened one out. She looked at her mirror to ensure that her minibuns were perfectly placed in her hair.

This may be a wet day, but at least a corn maze and a soggy pumpkin patch was waiting for them. She looked at String Bean in her favorite blue shirt with the pink and yellow stripes and smiled, background anxiety at the thought of meeting a new person at the corn maze.

Would they be okay with how Thorne could somehow fit her father and older brother's clothes?

Or her red hair ornaments?

Or would Thorne like them at all?

It was Dollface, and even if the three hadn't met up since String Bean's uncle's funeral, Thorne had learned to trust what she knew enough to survive.


	52. Chocolate Testimonies

Back home after a cold day in the corn maze and pumpkin patch, Regina cupped the hot chocolate in hands almost as cold as her sister's. She spit it back into her steaming mug, wondering why everyone had looked away from the derelict house near the fields as her tongue burned raw.

"What the devil is this?"

"Swiss Miss." Dollface said from the other side of the couch. She looked into the swirling depths, then added, "Actually, it's store brand. We can't afford Swiss Miss."

Regina furrowed her brows, still confused as to why the Cowatchs' still refused to use the piles of money granted to them they were sitting on, like ducks on a lake.

"So, um…" Dollface said, not looking up from her mug, "Your uniform has been dropped off."

"Really?" Regina said, hope rising in her chest as she set down her mug.

"Yep..."

Cecil, the voice on the radio, looked at the tape one more time.

Some local girl dropped it off earlier.

Cecil decided 'why not', and popped it into the VCR in the employee lounge of the radio station and watched.

Testimonies of local girls regarding a restaurant that burned down last summer. It would've been a great exposé on the kiddie corporation, except that the stories were just too outlandish to be true.

Cecil sighed, seeing another dead-end, as well acted as they were. The six girls were probably making things up for attention and money, which happened, even in a small town like this.

Even Prissy Missy and her group of friends made up a story about being group-raped by a bunch of senators and sent it to Cecil. After a whole lotta fuss, it turned out the allegations were laughably false, and Cecil decided to leave it be.

Cecil ejected the tape and tossed it into the wire trash can with a sigh.

Another day of weather reports and deer stats….

...Wolfie groaned loudly as Marnie rolled over and off of her.

"Git off'a meee…." Moaned Dolli Mae as she tried to wake up and attempt to sit up, but soon found that the force of the cuddle pile was too much. She instead opted to slap around the mattress for the remote to turn off Alien's loudly playing credits. The trio of girls had to sneak the 1979 horror movie into Marnie's pastel house and into her room.

Her parents didn't know that they'd been watching horror movies every chance they got.

And also, grown humans baby talking to a group of secretly rowdy teenagers gave Wolfie hives.

Marnie finally sat up and yawned. Must've fallen asleep during the movie. Wolfie and Dolli Mae had watched this one so many times with Dollface, a surprising horror freak, they knew every scene and where most people would doze off.

Dolli Mae soon stood with a dopey smile that made Wolfie uncomfortable. She felt….

Protective.

She didn't want to lose Dolli Mae, even if she was getting used to Marnie...

Princess kissed Lilly on the forehead and said her goodbyes, walking away from the Marlane family bakery to the community center down the road for rehearsals.

Another day, another dollar, and soon, she'd be joined by the rest of the feral girls.

Lilly smiled, glad Princess was happy as she watched her walk down the road…

...Springtrap rubbed his paws together with a clap. The Swedish-Irish mutt stumbled around a bit, getting his feet as he adjusted his tunnel-vision eyes to the darkness of the horror attraction.

No one could suspect a thing.

They just couldn't.

They shouldn't.

Afton wouldn't allow it.

Anyway, Springtrap stumbled in the dark, then dropped. He raised his giant rabbit legs and kicked the vent grate with a bang and slid in with ease.

William needed to drop by and introduce himself.


	53. The Silver Eyes

Cecil snoozed in the passenger seat of his roommate Carlos's car after a slow day that swiftly withered to night at the UHF. Cecil had a habit of getting a little carried away there. Often, the intern would have to call Cecil's lovely roommate to make sure he got home safely.

The intern was never happy about it, mainly because it happened at least once a week, and meant she had to drag Cecil away from monitors and stay later than she wanted to. She said it wasn't in her contract, and that she shouldn't have to babysit a grown man and make sure he left.

Or ate dinner.

Or took a shower.

Or even blinked.

Carlos suddenly floored the break, causing Cecil to be thrown in his seatbelt at the window.

"Ow!" He shouted as he was thrown forward against the gray belt, panting. His heart slammed in his ears like an incessant drum.

'Calm down Cecil, he just stopped for a deer,' He tried to calm himself, eyes closed and hand to his chest. Cecil opened his eyes and gaped.

The silver eyes were there, but they weren't attached to any deer he'd ever seen out here.

It was a girl with reflective eyes like an animal.

Carlos kept his headlights down as the thin, willowy girl stared at them like an indignant deer. Big, round circles that glowed into his soul and sucked it out through his eyes the more he stared into hers.

Cecil, being the only Jew in a town of back-water Baptists, Catholics, and, Presbyterians, didn't fully recognize the shadowed girl as the minister's daughter but instead as one of the girls on the tape he'd been delivered.

"¡Santa mierda!" Carlos grabbed the door handle to open it.

"No!" Cecil hissed, grabbing his perfect roommate's thigh. He stared wide-eyed through thick glasses at the girl, still watching them.

"She could be hurt!" Carlos muttered. He was probably wondering why the minister's daughter and/or temporary local sensation was wandering the streets at night without a coat.

"She's fine!" Cecil raised his voice, trying not to let it shake like a thin reed in the wind.

The girl's hair flared around her neck, and cascaded like a wolf's mane around her angular face, silver eyes and pale, washed-out arms exposed to the freezing October air.

"Carlos, you're a scientist!" Cecil said.

"Yes, what about it?"

Cecil gripped perfect Carlos tighter, shaking now, "Humans can't do that."

"You're right." He said, letting it dawn on him like the morning sun, "That's not right."

The girl cussed them out, reflective eyes turning and disappearing as she flipped them off and sauntered away with a dramatic flair only a feral teenager could have.

"Get me back."

"What?" Carlos said, brain still processing the phenomenon, "Where?"

"The UHF." Cecil said, "I need to get something."

"Why?" Carlos asked.

"No more questions!" Snapped Cecil. He needed to get that tape. If it turned out to be a lead, then they had the story of the century, no millennia to tell ready in a week...

Dollface sat on her knees in the fancy party dress and looked around the room.

"So this is the mutt?" A woman in a green dress and permanent bitch face rose from her straight backed chair, "The queen would simply love this."

"Aunt Midford, please do restrain yourself." Dollface's father said from the pool table. Dollface watched the woman circle her, tapping her with a cane.

"You gave up my Lizzie and disrespected your parents' wishes for that common girl?"

"You have to admit," Said one of the shark-toothed Reapers, "Marion is a good model, even Chanel isn't safe!"

"Silence!"

Dollface jumped at the loud shout of the woman.

"Keep the line pure!" She said, waving her hand to Ciel, "That is the point of marrying Elizabeth!"

"Well," Sebastian said from his corner, "How about we prove her worth?"

The woman turned, "Know your place, butler. You've had it too good for your standing for far too long."

"Yes, Duchess of Midford."

"It is a good idea though," Ciel said. He finally knocked the ball into the other one and sent them flying into the holes of the table.

"Put her to the test for her possible new position," the redhead gushed as the other Reapers nodded in approval, "See how the new guard pup will do."


	54. The Night HE Came

"Morinin' Reggie!"

"What do you want?"

Dollface had finally come down for the morning from her nest in the attic. Regina, ever the spoiled little princess, enjoyed having her sister's room to herself, even if it didn't have a tellie.

Bedrooms needed tellies.

That's just the natural order of things.

"Y'all ready t'go to t'Big City tonight?" Dollface challenged, leaning in with a smirk over the stained kitchen table.

Regina rolled her eyes, thinking of the hideous blue and red costume, completed with black sneakers and propellered beanie, "No."

"Well, it's better than hangin' around fer t'Boogeyman t'morrow night!" Dollface said.

"Dollface, don't scare yer sister." Eustace said, not looking up from his newspaper. He grabbed his coffee in a large paw and slurped.

"Aww, c'mon!" Dollface whined, then turned back to Regina when she saw that her grandfather didn't particularly care. She dropped into a conspiratorial whisper and said, "The Boogeyman came 'round last year and killed a bunch o'teenagers. Some of 'em were my age!"

"The Who?" Regina snapped.

"The Boogeyman!" Dollface said as she held the bloody tissue to her face to keep it from dripping onto her red and green striped sweater, "The Shape that Stalks!"

"This ain't some joke t'scare me, is it?" Regina hissed in a similar whisper.

"No it ain't!" Dollface said, "I saw him! I saw t'Boogeyman myself!"

"There ain't no such thing as a 'Boogeyman'!" Regina shouted.

"That's enough girls!" Muriel said, dropping her fork onto the chipped blue-rimmed platter, "Michael Myers ain't comin' back, they locked 'em up in t'county asylum, an' he ain't comin' 'round ever again!"

"Yes, no point in scarin' yer sister when there ain't no need to." Eustace said, gnawing his bacon like a cow chewing cud.

Dollface pouted in her chair, arms crossed.

"Well, someone at school was talking about it." Regina said, voice softening. She didn't want to admit that the whispers that had greeted her when she walked into her homeroom on the first day had changed from murmurs of a Shape to whispers of her and her St. Rupert's uniform.

She'd initially basked until she was forgotten, some Boogeyman no one would tell her about somehow more intriguing than Regina, the richest girl in the world, probably.

"Should we, Eustace?" Muriel looked feverishly to her husband. He sighed and put his newspaper down.

"Last year, in 1978, a man from the asylum broke free and hijacked a car." Eustace said.

"Does this have something to do with that old house?" Regina butt in.

"Yes," Sighed Muriel, folding her hands. "The man was severely ill in t'head, with t'blackest, most lifeless eyes you'll ever see."

"Eyes o' t'devil," Dollface said, her own black eyes lacking a certain twinkle in them. Regina looked away. How did Dollface know that the stupid Siren Head story scared her? Regina was so good at acting, everyone at her old schools said so when they weren't tossing powdered laxatives in her water bottle.

Eustace closed his eyes and rested his head in his hand, "He was huge. Could lift a car over his head and left a trail of destruction wherever he went. Even broke into the hardware store for a costume."

"He knew what time of year it was." Dollface said, as if every homicidal maniac on his way to massacre a small town would know it was Halloween, "But he really liked t'kill teenagers."

"Yes, t'poor dears. The madman would follow 'em all night, an' if he thought they were being naughty, he'd…" Muriel stopped, not wanting to say it.

"Michael Myers would slaughter teenagers he found having sexual relations." Eustace said, old gravelly voice cold and gruff.

Regina gulped, scared of how blunt he was.

"He followed your sister and her friends 'round b'fore givin' up an' findin' a local girl who'd stayed home t'babysit that night." Eustace continued, "Apparently, small town, small world, the poor girl was his little sister. She lived."

"That's gut!" Dollface said, "He was found later by the highway patrol full of hot lead and dragging his way back to the asylum. 'Parently, he liked it there."

"That's insane!" Regina accused, tugging on the hem of her business suit skirt out of displaced energy and standing indignantly, "This town is insane! You're insane!"


	55. Hallows Eve

"I am so sorry Reggie," Gramma fussed as she wiped Regina's face with a cloth. She pulled at the girl's shirt and looked at Regina's black sneakers. "You won't go trick or treatin' t'morrow night!"

"It's fine, I don't care." Regina said, shifting in her new shoes. Felt weird in flats. Kinda hurt, actually.

"Well, it's always been a big deal fer Dollface," Gramma said, sounding like she was going to go on a side tangent about family history, but was interrupted by Dollface.

"It's fine Gramma." Dollface said as she leaned against the doorway, "I'm too old for it."

Gramma shot her a suspicious look around Regina. "Okay then."

Regina shifted in the black sneakers, absolutely hating them but needing to readjust to the calf pain, and reassured herself, "We go up tonight?"

"According to all instructions, yes." Dollface said, voice flatter than Kansas. She held up the bent and folded letter between two fingers, "You have to be an attendant in the escape portions."

Dollface thought about the instructions written in the contents of the thick envelope.

_Don't tell.__Don't show interests outside of us.__Do what we say and when we say it.__You are replaceable.__You are always replaceable.__And never, ever, ever, touch Freddy_.

"Can't wait." She said, smile suddenly in place as she turned and skipped away in her pink, purple, and blue socks.


	56. Bates

Dollface skipped around the suite then dropped onto the bed, as happy as a necromancer in a natural history museum.

Finally, she could have a sleepover with her friends again, even in a big, scary city like this one!

Princess set her school backpack stuffed with clothes on the mattress, right next to Dollface. Dollface smiled, missing things like how in seventh grade, Princess had been a magnetic force for her.

Princess had filled out more, thanks to Lilly, the doting wife of a girl she was. Lilly had liked Princess and decided that she was good enough all ready, but could use some cleaning up.

Since they had a proper relationship, as openly secretly as it was, Princess's matts of candy colored hair became a silky sea of blue, her skin was more alive, and emerald eyes not dull, but vibrant and neon behind big, round spectacles.

"What are you staring at?"

Dollface blushed, forgetting where she was as she looked up at Princess.

"Nuthin'."

Princess raised a fawn colored eyebrow behind her pink lenses. "Mmm-hmm."

Izzy bounded in, an entire steamer trunk over her head. She released it onto the carpeted floor with a thud. "Ooh, fancy!"

Princess put her foot on the little desk and retied her fuchsia converse peeking out from under her boot-cut, then adjusted her tide orange sweater in the mirror. She fluffed one of her tiny pigtails, another one of Lilly's suggestions, and turned to Izzy.

"Do you really need the steamer?"

"Yeah, of course!" Izzy said, dragging the old cedar wood chest across the room and near where Dollface lay.

"Show off." Dolli Mae said as she entered the room with a suitcase under her arm, "We only here fer a day."

"I have my costume, my clothes, my tambourine and-" Izzy rummaged through her trunk and grabbed her Chica costume; a pair of jeans and a tie-dye shirt; and a tambourine, then struggled as she pulled a disproportionately large cow plush she won from a state fair ring toss booth two years ago in eighth grade. "-My cow-cow!"

Wolfie walked in just as Izzy found her moment of triumph, then walked out, dropping her bags at the door, turning, her hands up in defeat.

"Hey!" Dolli Mae dropped her bags as she was left behind and bounded to Wolfie, dragging her by the lanky arm back in. She stumbled over the bags.

"Ew." Regina said. She looked weird without the usual heels, and it was obvious that she wasn't too happy about the sneakers. She tried to put her hair in place like a nagging old lady in Mrs. Deyhet's salon would.

"What's wrong?" Now sitting up, Dollface sat at the foot of the bed with a warm-toned geometric patterned spread and watched her sister, concerned.

"They don't even have mints on the pillows." Regina said with a sniff." An' I can't stand the smell."

She haughtily walked over to inspect one of the beds. "Not even silk."

"What d'ya expect?" Wolfie said, pulling her jumpsuit out and opening the closet, "We can't afford any better."

"Can't that company of yours pay for a real room?"

"Nope." Dolli Mae said, joining Wolfie with her pirate coat, "They supply everythang we don't have as long as our parents chip in fer a room."

"Wait, are we sharing beds?" Regina looked like she'd faint when all the girls chorused, 'Yup!'

She cringed.

"We have a cot too," Dollface said, "Grampa ordered it special."

"Fine." Regina said, "I'll just have to suffer."


	57. I Just Died

"Let go!" Princess shouted as Bonnie finally broke the little door that led to the underside of the stage after being blown across the room in a puff of pink. She pressed herself against the wall as the rabbit tried to shove itself in.

"She screamed flatly as the rabbit managed to grab her, her powers too tired.

"Let go! Let go!" Princess tried to summon another burst of energy but her eyes refused to turn black and the pink mist fizzled out as she struggled. Bonnie's fist held tight to her ratty blue hair. The Aqua-Net only made a better grip.

"Let go!" Princess screamed, ripping free from the seven or maybe eight foot animatronic bunny.

Bonnie looked at the fistfull of hair in his phunphur paw, then at Princess.

Princess shook on the tiles, not even noticing the impaled Raina Dashinsky-Schmidt behind her. Bonnie giggled like a little boy who knew he just did something bad and grabbed the girl by her neck. Princess kicked, just barely breathing and blood seeping down her hair and face like something from a Stephen King horror novel. She could hear gunshots that rattled her eardrums and screaming from somewhere, but she was too busy being dragged to a backroom that smelled like rotting death.

Bonnie leered in her face as he threw her into a suit./p

Princess panted, crown somewhere in the showroom with the dropped hank of stiffened hair.

Bonnie stuffed her into the suit, then, once satisfied at how his new toy was positioned, tootered into the showroom.

Princess tried to see in the tunnel vision of the suit that smelled like bad breath and cheap cologne, and listened to the screaming of a friend just outside the room. Pots and pans crashed to the floor somewhere.

Princess tried to stay still, but another round of fire sounded, and she jumped...

...Wolfie woke up in the night to the sound of Dolli Mae sleep talking.

"...Vinnie? Where are you…?"

Wolfie heard the name.

How could he be back?

Was he really alive?

Wolfie felt a weight that had lifted after the toasted Sweade had disappeared fall back on her chest and crush her.

C'mon, there's other fish in the sea.

Remember Brendon in Social Studies? The perfect boy that made you feel like you were on fire?

Wolfie bit her lip, watching Dolli Mae shift to her side and mumble more in her sleep.

Just wait for the right person.

They'll come eventually, right?

Wolfie slowly sat up and rolled onto the floor, trying not to disturb Dolli Mae and Dollface. She stood in her socked feet, right on the balls on her feet as she tiptoed to the door. She grabbed the key and her Walkman, then snatched the ice bucket.

There's your excuse.

She snapped her headphones on her ears and pulled the door closed behind her. She stood in the bright hallway, room 217 behind her. She pressed the worn down button on her Walkman.

"_Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight. It must have been something you said_." Wolfie sighed, listening to the synthed-up guitar pour into her ears as she stomped down the hall, "_I just died in your arms tonight_..."

Chords pulled her along as she descended a floor with the bucket, passing the ice machine in the hallway.

Then the next ice machine.

Wolfie fell into the overstuffed couches in the lobby, milky lights buzzing from the high ceilings overhead. The fountain burbled as plaster peeled.

"_Is there any just cause for feeling like this? On the surface, I'm a name on a list. I try to be discreet, but then blow it again_," Feeling angsty, Wolfie fell back on the slippery red Naugahyde couch, then stood again, strangely antsy. "_I've lost and found, it's my final mistake_."

The desk attendant approached her and tapped her shoulder. "She's loving by proxy, no give and all take, cause I've been thrilled to fantasize one too many times."

"Yeah?" Wolfie pulled off one side.

"You look lonely."

"Wolfie looked into the dark woman's darker eyes and broad face. She pressed a quarter into Wolfie's bony white hand.


	58. Gladiator

Izzy was slammed down onto the counter by Chica with a howl. Chica forced her way in, right between Izzy's legs and ground her empty neck cavity.

Izzy screamed at the cavity full of maggots and springlocks. A hollow laugh floated out of the hole like a blast of moldy air.

Chica picked up her dollie over her body and tottered into a bakroom, knocking over an entire shelf of pots and pans. Izzy wailed, long hair dangling over the grinding gears inside the decapitated chicken.

The last This Izzy ever heard was the snapping of her own neck...

...Wolfie knew who she had to call.

She really, really hoped Marnie would come to the phone, but considering how freaky her parents were, babytalk and all, she was probably sleeping like a rock.

But Wolfie needed to call.

She wasn't sure if she was coming home on Sunday.

"Hello, hello? Yeah, uh, hey! Marnie!" Wolfie said, the second the phone was picked up, "Need to talk t'ya!"

"Whaaa…? Who is this?"

"Marnie!" Wolfie said, "It's me!"

"Wolfie?"

She sounded incredulous as she was shaken awake by Wolfie. She was probably the only one awake.

"Yeah, it's me!" Wolfie said, "I really wanna talk t'ya!"

"It's…." Marnie paused, probably looking for her alarm clock, "Nearly one a.m! Awe youw okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm…" Wolfie trailed off, "I'm just really nervous about tomorrow."

"How? You've done this so many times befowe!"

"Yeah, I know but," Wolfie said, not ready to say it again, "I just wanted to say that I might be tired when I get home. And I was thinking that maybe since I've been dragging you around, you can do t'same t'me!"

"I can?" Marnie asked, "Oh goodie! I'll take you to my fav'wit pwaces an', I'll…"

"Yeah, sounds amazing!" Wolfie said, voice wavering as the gravity finally hit her, "I can't wait."

"What's w'ong?" Marnie asked, sudden concern creeping into her voice, "Is ev'weey'thing okay?"

"Everythin's okay Marnie." Wolfie said, suddenly calm, "Everythang will be okay. Just go back t'sleep, alright?"

...Dollface let out the tremendous scream of a million clacking springs and rods as she was thrown to the floor by the girl in pink. The girl, barely any taller than her shoved her down with her heeled foot. Dollface struggled, ripping her skirts.

"Git off'a me, bitch!"

"Language!" Lizzie shouted in her face. Dollface howled, louder and more mechanically and snapped her jaws at Lizzie's heels. "No Fair!"

"Dad, what the fuck?!" Dollface shouted, then let a bout of rage over taker her as Ciel stared dead-eyed and bored at the affair. Dollface flipped herself up, dropped onto Lizzie. Lizzie squealed, suddenly under Dollface and unarmed as the girl slammed her pretty blonde head into the tiled floor.

"That's enough!" Lizzie's mother, Francis, tried to pull Dollface off of Lizzie, but the angry girl screamed and jumped onto her hands, kicking with her back feet like a mule and pushing Lizzie's horsey face into the checks. Francis was thrown with unexpected force. Dollface had long since ripped her flowing skirts off and reached for the white silk to tie Lizzie like a hog. She easily overpowered the struggling girl and released, swinging her legs over Lizzie and standing in the heavy combat boots.

"Why?" She asked, "Why must I fight against strangers I have never known for your sick enjoyment?"

Dollface's chest heaved, not used to unexpected exercise as she looked around the room at solemn faces. "Are you not entertained?"

The faces watched her arms raise. They stared her legs that lay bare and the white shorts with pink bands. They inspected her white socks and baggy sleeves laying ripped like ghosts in the wind. "Are you not entertained?"

Francis stumbled to her feet. She slid up from the dark wooden wall and leaned, breath knocked out of her. She watched wide-eyed, as battered brown wings sprouted and shredded what was left of Dollface's dress.

"Am I not a child of Phantomhive?" She shouted to the group, "Am I not a person but your toy? Must I be a vessel to find a sick pleasure among my ownfamily?"

"Dear wren," Sebastian said, the only one who could step forward, "There are many things you must learn."

"This is sick." Dollface shouted, watching Sebastian step closer, "Death smiles upon us all with shark teeth and dagger tongue, and you-" She paused, looking a Lizzie still tied up, "-You are but a floozy of your mother's desires. Grow the hell up, all of you."

Someone new walked through. Someone in a long black dress and blue eyes like starlight and blonde hair to her waist. "Dolly…" Dollface looked at the tall angel of a mortal and stared her down with smoldering, unblinking eyes.

"Dolly," She bent down, "I'm sorry."

Puck tilted Dollface's chin up. Dollface finally blinked.

Silence, utter silence.

"Pretty girls don't do that."

Dollface blinked, then let out the howl of an undead electronic and lunged, jaw open as far as it could. She dropped, arms squealing from Sebastian's silent hold. He twisted them as Dollface struggled to Marion. Marion didn't understand, Regina always calmed down at that move.

"Ciel, I'm afraid we need to give this 'watchdog' business a rest!" Sebastian shouted over the squeals and howls. He scooped Dollface up, "It appears she never truly left Fazbears'!


	59. Topsy-Turvey

Dolli Mae had finished her rampage on Foxy, who lay twitching at her feet as she panted, adrenalyn making her mind race. She released a deep, calming breath, not heeding the warning of static behind her.

Whoa!

Dolli Mae's world was very suddenly flipped upside-down by a screaming mass of metal.

"You bitch!" A voice like an annoying adolescent girl crackled through were voice shouldn't come from, "You killed him!"

Dolli Mae screamed and tried to squeeze off a round of fire but only heard clicking from the hand gun.

Oh No!

She screamed angrily and kicked, completely flipped over, before being thrown against the darkened wall of the laser arena with a thump and an 'Oof!'

Seething, Dolli Mae stood and growled, mega-dizzy and realizing she'd blacked out for a second or two. Swaying, she tried to reload, then attempted to aim at the oncoming storm, but her head was throbbing and her eyes couldn't focus for shit. She turned around in hopes of running to the door just yards away.

"'Allo, me lassie!"

Dolli Mae screamed as the hook from a red fox came swinging and lodged itself into her eye socket, the one the Party City eyepatch was supposed to cover when on stage.

She was still conscious as she was dragged by Foxy's hook lodged in her eye into a backroom, still screaming in motionless agony...

...Wolfie entered into the darkened room and nearly dropped the brimming bucket of ice on the floor when she saw Reggie and Dollface whispering in a huddle.

"Ice." She held up the bucket, feeling stupid.

"Bad dream." Dollface said with no emotion, "She will be fine in the morning."


	60. Jack in the Box

Wolfie was fighting so hard in the box, but with the flashlight outside, finding a good target and sticking with it was nearly impossible. As much leather and black lipstick she had, Wolfie had never actually fought someone before, and especially one pushing against her in the dark.

She yelled, then felt the thing in the box with her grab her throat. She'd grown so tired.

And so cold.

Wolfie's vision completely blacked out as she felt the back of her skull cave in...

...Regina sat awake in her cot once everyone was resettled.

Was this what it was like to be her sister?

She thought of her father on the tabloid she'd spotted in the gas station they'd stopped in for a gas break. She'd seen herself, her mother, and her father on the cover.

But no actual mention of her.

She'd at first been ready to brag because they were talking about her, then realized, they weren't actually thinking about her.

She looked at the next magazine over, the latest edition of Elle, with mother on the cover, and a special issue on what an amazing model Marion Phantomhive had become in her years of marriage and how she balanced her life with family.

Barely any real mention of Regina.

Just how amazing the Phantomhives were as her parents.

Regina stared at the ceiling.

She counted the flashing red light on the fire alarm overhead in French.

Then German.

Then Spanish.

No, Dollface didn't feel like this.

She might feel worse, seeing it so much but never being mentioned. Hearing how amazing and special these people were, but not even knowing or being known. Living a shitty, miserable life here in Nowheresville.

How was Dollface still so happy?

No, she wasn't happy.

Not at all.

She'd seemed excited at first, but the more Regina watched, the more she realized that Dollface was disappointed in this little trip. She'd been the only one who'd tried to strike up a conversation or play lame car games.

Regina could hear Dollface sobbing in the snoozing silence.

But what about?

Dollface was the only one who didn't have a care, but here she was.

Regina turned her head and watch Dollface roll off the bed and crawl to her bags. She pulled a round hatbox out, then a neon yellow head that glowed in the moonlight.

A bear's head with a gaping jaw.

Regina watched Dollface's head be swallowed whole by the mask.

Regina sighed, as if sleeping, then rolled over, never fully content with where she was...

...Oh yes.

Oh yes indeed.

It was almost time!

The shadows were becoming solid!

The shadow rabbit slunk across the wall as Springtrap leapt for joy!

It was almost the day of the dead!

And dear children, do you know what that means?

The rapture! The revenge! The pleasure of a rematch!

Oh, it would be glorious!


	61. Reporting for Duty

"Girls!" Henry said, waving the Fazbear Girls carrying costumes to the entrance of the complex, "Girls! Meet our new boss, Stewart Hushell!"

The girls rounded themselves up to see this new person with slicked hair hiding a bald spot./p

"Hello!" His voice matched his greased hair and concealed cellulite as he put out a hand. Dollface took it with her spare, a white bass in a black case in her other.

He shook it with a firm, bone cracking grasp with a smile, "I see your new stage manager has been doing well on this handshaking business! Now what's your name, girlie?"

"Dollface?"

"Oh, wonderful!" He smiled broadly, "I get to meet the famous Dollface!"

"Y-yeah."He squinted hazel eyes at her. "Wrong color."

"What?" Dolfface searched around.

"Wrong color." Hushell repeated sharply, "Henry!"

"Yes sir?" Henry said, fumbling with keys in the lock as a thin-faced janitor in purple coveralls approached them.

"Find a stylist!" Hushell ordered, "We need it blue and curly!"

"Wait a second!" Princess shouted, "That's _MY_ thing!"

"Oh, oh, yes," Hushell said, new person in sight, "We must make that purple!"

"Oh, I see sir!" Henry said as the janitor snickered at his failure to adequately open a door.

"Wait!" Wolfie stepped up to bat, "Y'all said nothin' 'bout this in your letters or contracts!"

"Welcome to business!" Hushell said, "last minute changes are always happening! And I think you need some streaks!"

"What?!" Wolfie recoiled, "And a perm, too?"

"Oh, why of course!" Hushell said, somehow as jovial as Santa Claus, "We must change up the hair!"

"B-but why?" Izzy asked quietly, "Why?"

"Because, my dear, it'll add something!" Hushell said, then whispered to Henry, "That's our Chica, right?"

Henry nodded, then jiggled the keys. He tapped on the window.

"What?!" Screamed Dolli Mae, "What now?"

Princess's eyes glowed black as Dolli Mae was silenced.

"First, pay out a stylist, one of the nicer ones in town." Hushell ordered Henry. Henry dropped his keys and pushed the door open, leering janitor stepping away. Henry would need his desk and it's phone book.

"Good, I could use an update."

"Not you, uuhhhh…" Hushell looked at Regina, trying yo place her. His eyes fell on the lame beanie, "Nevermind."

"What?" Regina's turn to be upset and whine, "Why?"

"We need to teach you and the other new arrivals the layout for the evening!"

"I am purple now, I guess." Princess looked in the mirror at her bangs dyed with an overlay of pink. The rest was a touched-up blue.

"You know the drill." Said the stylist who towered over her, "Don't mess with it, don't wash it for a while, you'll be fine."

"I look like Bonnie Tyler."

"Yep, that's what they all say." The stylist ripped the cape away from Princess's neck. Her bangs were extremely purple. Not her usual, but Princess would be fine until she could get Izzy's mom to take it out with bleach and fresh sapphire dye.

"Yo." Wolfie barked, watching Princess walk to the chair to sit by Henry. Her stylist helped her out of the chair after plucking the final fold of tinfoil from her tangles.

"You look stunning, kiddo." Henry said, not looking at Princess but at his shoes. They weren't good enough for a stage manager. Princess had seen a few during recitals.

"Why?" Princess asked him.

"Why what?" Henry responded.

"Why did you not stop Hushell?"

"Well…."

"You were told not to speak up too, wern't you?"

Henry sniffed lowering his head.

"I look like Frakenstein's kid."

"Yep." Wolfie's hair stylist ruffled Wolfie's striped hair. "Like it?"

Wolfie twisted and turned, "I guess I have to?"

The stylist laughed and released Wolfie.

"Oookay, I'm yellow." Izzy said, not sure what to think of her new yellow bangs.

"Looking sharp, girlie!" The stylish put her head by the clients and smiled. "Really brings it out, don'tcha think?"

"Yeah." Izzy nodded, already letting the yellow and pink frame grow on her.

She soon joined Wolfie and Princess.

"Don't rumple 'em, don't abuse 'em, they should last a while."

Dolli Mae cocked her head of honey-blonde hair.

Sausage curls that lifted her waist-length hair to her shoulders didn't look half bad. Who woulda thunk it?

Another feral girl domesticated, and soon, they waited.

And waited.

"Where's Dollface?" Asked Izzy.

"Yeah, where is she?" Dolli Mae questioned, shifting her legs.

"We spent all day heeeeeerrrre!" Wolfie complained loudly with a groan.

Dolli Mae put a hand on hers, and Wolfie promptly sat up.

They waited.

They waited.

Then they waited some more.

Perms and dyes take a while but wow, was this taking some time.

"Holy cow…." Breathed Izzy as Dollface was finally led out.

"You are blue." Princess said.

"Yeah," The stylist said, putting her manicured and stained hands on Dollface's shoulders, "I decided to bleach a bit, add the blue, and then added brown to emphasize the shaved parts, then permed up top."

"So that's why you took forever." Wolfie said, "huh."

"What'cha think of me curly?" Giggled Dollface, tight blue curls lifted on her head, showing the checks on the back and sides of her head.

"Stunning!" Henry said through gritting teeth, standing up, "Ya ready girls?"

"Wait, don't we need t'pay?" Dolli Mae suspiciously.

"Oh, no, don't worry," Henry assured, "Company money, business tax write-off, as usual. You girls know the drill."

"Parental. Con. Sent." Hissed Dolli Mae.

Henry's smile wavered. He was upset too, wasn't he?

"Anyway!" He said, falsely hopeful again, "Rehearsal time!"


	62. This Ain't a Scene (it's an arms race)

"...L'il lady, y'all shouldn't be doin' that."

Reggie looked at the janitor in a tacky shade of purple. He wasn't the thin-faced creep she'd caught watching her sister, but an elderly black man.

"And you care because…?" She waved her hand, missing her manicure, which one girl at school said was 'Real bitchin'!'

"'Cause if you caught, I get toasted."

"In English, please."

"If I know you smokin' in the alleyway, I get fired." He said. "I'm Joe, by t'way."

Regina looked at the rough hand with a pink underside and questioned if she wanted to touch it.

"Reggie." she said, not thinking about it.

"Nice t'meet ya." Joe pulled out a pack of Paul Malls from his violet pocket and lit up. Regina watched him blow out a ring and chuckled to himself. He turned to her, gravelly voice raspier, "I see we both work 'ere."

"Yep." Regina said, not really listening to herself. She pulled in a drag. These were so much harsher than the good ones she usually had, but these were the only ones she could buy here.

From a gas station.

"Y'all Ain't from 'round 'ere?"

"And how could you tell?"

"Lil lady, you are 'bout as fancy and prissy as a princess in a big ol' castle."

"Alright!" Dollface shouted from her perch in her new shoes. Sebastian bought her new gogos after they burned in the Fabear Fire.

Almost time for the opening!

"Hm."

"What?" Dollface asked. She could stand the new costumes and the last minute perms, but she wasn't sure what to do about any new requests, especially an hour before opening.

"Instruments."

"Not this again!" Princess moaned, "Mr. Hushell, what is wrong with ours?"

"They're shabby." He said, head up so he could see them from the stage. "Henry, we have the new ones, right?"

"Right sir!" Henry looked so tired from running around. Mr. Hushell snapped his fingers a little bit.

Henry scampered as fast as a middle aged father could into the backstage area and shouted to the girls to jump from the stage and join him.

"Izzy." He bent like he was presenting a magical amulet to Izzy. Izzy took the tambourine with rainbow ribbons and turned them in her cold, dainty hands. She smiled at the cupcake.

"And Princess?" Henry said, holding something from behind her back, "This is just for you."

Princess watched him take a custom made y-shape guitar with a yellow border and rainbow tuning keys.

"Woah."

"Like it?"

Princess looked at the guitar as it was placed in her hands. She felt its heft, then put the rainbow strap over her shoulder. She plucked the D with a finger painted red, then one painted blue, then one purple. "I will see."

Izzy rattled her cupcake tambourine, watching the rainbow ribbons flow.

"Dolli Mae!" Henry said, practically throwing a keytaur to her. Dolli Mae grabbed it and slumped forward, surprised at its weight.

"Red, gold, all the good stuff." Henry said, "Better than the old one."

"Yep." Dolli Mae said, trying to get her cold hands to reach the keys. She ran her fingers along the seven synth buttons in the colors of the rainbow.

"Do I get anything?" Wolfie asked, face scrubbed clean like everyone else in the room.

"I would never forget about you!" Henry said,dragging a box out. "Drum kit!"

"Drum kit?" Wolfie said, being a member of the school drum core and having to stand and dance with a drum set bigger than most of her friends. "Looks small."

"No, wait!" Henry looked like a kid on Christmas. He bounced on his heels, tiredness gone because he could give the girls gifts.

Wolfie sighed, still skeptical, and opened the cardboard flaps. "Oh."

"Cool, right?" Henry could barely hold in his excitement.

"I dunno how t'play this kinda drum." Wolfie said drily. Henry's face fell.

"Oh yeah." His eyes lit up, "But we can learn, right?"

Dolli Mae and Princess looked at their new instruments and gave each other a look.

"I guess we all kin try." Dollface said from the doorway, unusually cautious in her combat boots and high-waisted jeans. She walked over to Izzy and braided a section of her friend's fluffy hair, knowing that was the closest they'd been for a while now.

"And Dollface, I could never forget you." Henry said, turning to her. He rummaged the organized shelf and found a box. "Your sword, m'lady."


	63. Tonight, a Hurricane!

It was dark when the first group of people, Including Wander, arrived in the center auditorium. It was their reward for escaping a false labyrinth. This was the center, the prize, the toy in the kinder egg, the eye of the storm to hide and rest until they inevitably got bored with the prize and went home through a back exit.

Wander's eyes widened.

"Sylvia!" He pointed at the empty stage, "Sylvia, look!"

"Calm down wander, it's just an empty stage." Sylvia said, looking at her adopted son in a fuzzy orange sweater and floppy green hat. You'd think it was a Halloween costume, but no, Wander wore it everywhere.

"But Syl, look!" Wander said, "Don't you see?"

"He's nuts, isn't he?" Peepers, a pale little man on the Big City's police force, stood next to where tall, dark Sylvia stood. Wander had gone to the Fazbear Girls circus show sometime last summer and was still chatering on about them. He was their biggest fan.

Sylvia looked at her boyfriend of two years and sighed. "Did you just now realize that?"

"Wait," He put a boney, white hand up, "ya hear something?"

"Other than Wander's explosive happiness, no." Sylvia said, feeling tired. Wander was good at getting in and out of trouble, making the escape complex all too easy. The building was an absolute maze, making it easy to lose the other groups. And having Wander's favorite group of girls with candy colored costumes and cheesey songs as incentive only made the process faster.

"Wait, now I hear it." Sylvia said.

"Yeah, there it is again." Peepers confirmed, "Like giggling or metal."

Sylvia tried to figure out what metal had to do with giggling little girls, but decided that there was a subtle scraping sound.

"They're heeeere!" Sand Wander as another group, this one full of teen boys arrived as a spotlight on the small stage clapped on.

"A bear?" One teen asked, "Lame."

"Hah, that bunny." His friend said, "What do they think we are, twelve?"

"Good one." Another friend replied, clapping him on the back. Sylvia suddenly wasn't sure if she really wanted Wander here.

"Look at that chicken." A mother said as she came in with a small hoard of toddlers in party hats. "I'm not sure if I want that ugly thing here with my kids."

"Hey, ya gonna do somethin' or what?" Shouted a teen boy, grabbing a decoration from the table and throwing it at the bear with the bow and top hat. It bounced off the pizza bass in its big, brown paws and settled on the floor.

Another giggle, then the body of the bear snapped open, revealing it's folded up contents.

"My God! It's a chick!"


	64. Living Dead Girl

Dollface grabbed her bass from the Freddy Fazbear prop's hand as she stood, having unwound herself and slipped out of the empty cavity. She yawned with a groan then snapped her jaws, blue curls piled high on her head. She'd felt comfortable there.

Like she was supposed to be in the belly of a mechanical beast.

The beast would be left there for the rest of the restaurant and attraction's promising existence, as a display, a prop, a museum's display to a testament for all escapees wandering past.

Silent.

Cold.

Dead.

Just an attraction. An exhibit.

Princess followed Dollface and giggled with false gusto, grabbing her rainbow guitar from Bonnie's paws as she fell, all legs like a foal from its mother onto her back, flipping to her bare knees and finally ripped off a rhythm pattern, stopping ponderously to let Izzy fall out of the chicken's tummy.

Dolli Mae joined, grabbing her keyboard on her way down from the fox, and matched the chord rhythm as Wolfie climbed out of her gift box. Wolfie kicked a corner, making it collapse to reveal the electric drum kit. She pulled it up and stood behind it.

Dollface looked at Princess, remembering something nearly forgotten in the rush of growing up. She nodded, glad Princess saw and could return the gesture.

Princess, now standing in purple stilettos, let the red guitar rip, making the dissonant chords ring out among the quickly filling audience.

Dollface looked at the camera recording the show and then looked for Hushell in his suit.

Dollface felt a tingling in her nose.

The room had quickly become packed, with some patrons leaving uninterested and others arriving just as quickly. Dollface eyed the Yuppie in the corner and the horde of children surrounding the total 'Karen'. The only person glad to hear Rick Astley.

Dollface felt the tingling, then felt something hit her like a bad idea in a thunderstorm.

Blood poured down her nose as the world melted, shaped, rammed, changed, all as her hands suddenly stopped playing the intro. She practically choked on the line, blood running down her throat like a hot lead tidal wave.

No one seemed to notice this undetectable shift in time, but she kept playing, nose drooling.

"Who is this irresistible creature who has an insatiable lust for the dead?" She found herself saying like a lounge lizard in a smoky bar.

"Living dead girl!" Shouted the girls in unusually crunchy voices as the roar of an engine surrounded them. Dollface twisted and rolled with her pizza bass, practically grinding against it as the sound of singing chainsaws ripped free from Princess's grasp. She rolled her eyes and growled like a beast before pressing into a mic.

"Rage in the cage and scream upon the stage," Dollface said, voice dropping into a melodic growl.

Like a purr.

She forgot she could still make the sounds that she could with just her voice alone. Strange how easy they were. "There's only one sure way to bring the giant down."

The blood dripped from Dollface's face and onto her brown cheerleader top and soaked into the blue accents of her blouse and the tight black tie around her neck.

"Defunct the strings of cemetery things," She had to fight the urge to lick the blood from her painted lips, "With one flat foot on the devils…

"Wing!" The Fazbears turning Ferals howled with an inhuman appeal.

'_What are you thinking about_?'

"Crawl on me, sink into me, die for me, Living Dead Girl," Howled the girls behind Dollface. Well, Henry did say that it was a fun party trick.

"Crawl on me, sink into me, die for me, living dead girl!" Dollface sidled up to Princess, shoulder touching shoulder at winked.

"Raping the geek," Princess sang with an angry blade cutting her voice.

"And hustling the freak!" Izzy declared, shaking the tambourine in an alluringly angry way.

"Like a hunchback juice, on a sentimental noose," Dollface rasped into the mic, "Operation filth, they love to love the wealth of an S.S. whore making scary…"

"Sounds!" All the girls chorused, all dancing around their instruments with an unseen but tangible aggression. The group of teen boys in the back were hollering loudly, attention grabbed by the balls.

"Crawl on me," Dollface said, slipping her heels off and choosing her target from the group, "Sink into me, die for me…"

She put the bass down, knowing that they sounded off-kilter without it, but she was overtaken with the need as she rolled her hips and grabbed the mic from its stand, "Living dead boy."

Dollface lept from the small stage and onto a table, letting the band continue singing the bridging chorus, "Crawl on me, sink into me, die for me, living dead girl."

Next table.

Dodging a plate of cake, Dollface dropped to her hands and knees, balancing the microphone. "Cyclone jack, hallucinatin' hack."

She dementedly crawled forward, then pushed a patron with dark skin and neon pink hair to one side. "Thinks that Donna Reed eats dollar bills."

Dollface loudly snapped her jaws, getting closer and walked with hastened leisure, "Goldfoot's machine creates another fiend,so beautiful they make you-" She paused, then fell to her knees in front of the chosen teenage boy with a shoulder shake, "-kill!"

She grinned, looking into his darkened face. What did he see?

Was he afraid?

Interested?

What?

What was he?

Dollface didn't care as blood poured down her face as she grabbed his.

"Crawl on me, sink into me…" She whispered along, mic on the table, "Die for me…"

She leaned ever closer to his ear. He shivered. "Living dead boy…"

His friends surrounding him all stared wide eyed at her as she stood at the end of the long banquet table, hooping replaced with a trace.

"Crawl on me, sink into me…" She knew they were jealous and could barely hold it in, "Die for me, living dead boy…"

She was so close, he was maybe even hopeful that he could feel more than just her hair tickling on his skin.

"Blood on her skin, dripping with sin!" Dollface laughed loud and hoarsely right into his ear and pushed him hard.

"Do it again!" She stood as he fell off the bench and onto the tiles with a gasp. "Living dead girl!"

He looked up at her and her full height towering over him on the table. She laughed out, "Blood on her skin, and turned to jump away to return to the stage as the music churned and pulsed like angry chainsaws.

"Dripping with sin, do it again we're the Living Dead Girls!"


	65. Devil's Deal

"Sir! I'm sorry!" Dollface spluttered over the blood spurting ever harder from her nose. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Can't you see?!" Hushell practically shouted once safely in his office, "I had to drop a conference call with new investors. What will they think? This stunt can cost us millions!"

He wrenched her twiggy arm and Dollface squealed, blood splattering across his white shirt. She started gasping, trying not to bawl and make her situation worse than it was.

He shook her shouting, "We had refunds tonight! Do you know how many?!"

Dollface squeezed her eyes shut and tried to lean away, but she was practically dangled by her arms.

"N-no?"

"An entire birthday party and a small family!" Hushell shouted. He was lucky his office was sound proofed by its industrial doors, because people would come running even over the remaining band's loud, child friendlier music.

"Several. Hundred. DOLLARS!" He roared in her ears with a shake. Her shoes, having been thrown across the long hallway to the office, had left her socked feet to crack and drag against the floor the second Hushell scooped her up by the wrists.

Dollface was dropped onto her butt with a howl.

Mr. Hushell rubbed his eyes as the teeny girl sat on the floor panting and gasping. He ignored her as she finally started bawling, makeup running even further and blood a burst pipe in her face.

Hushell waited for her to calm down before starting again.

"I have an idea." he said, low, slow, greasily.

She nodded with clipped breath, utterly terrified.

Dollface didn't think she could still be scared anymore.

At least, not by anything…

...Human.

"I have an idea." He said again, even lower, slower, quietly, almost as if he was talking to a simple-minded child, "On the other side of town, there's a club."

Hushell glanced at where she sat to see her nod, "And it's a more appropriate place for these antics. I can supply everything you need, and you girls can perform whatever you'd like there until the contract is up."

Dollface nodded and swallowed a salty metallic gulp.

"But when you are at any Fazbear Entertainment Center, You must do as I say."

She watched him finally fully look at her. When she didn't reply, he shouted loud enough to scare her into another round of tears.

"Okay!" She finally managed out, "We have a deal!"

"Good girl." He smiled, "Now go change. We have a new costume for you."


	66. Money Maker

Dollface pulled the boxy brown and blue top over her head and tossed it away, feeling her stomach churn from overexcited blood nausea. She pulled off her head band and the collar and tie choker, feeling sicker. She bolted to the toilet behind her and hurled, hot, metallic bile filling the bowl.

Shivering in her one-piece bodysuit, because turns out those shorts weren't shorts but a without straps but sticky padded cups and a contouring torso. She was surprised at how well it was staying up.

At least those boys in the audience wouldn't get an eye-full.

After another round of choking and leaning over a toilet bowl in the disabled stall, Dollface sat up and panted as flies swarmed. She flushed the toilet filled with acidic red and stumbled to her socked feet.

Dollface left the stall and remembered when she'd been trapped in one for minutes that felt like hours as a mechanical monster stalked her.

She'd been hunted that night.

Dollface jumped when she saw herself in the full length mirror.

She looked like she'd bitten into something big and red and juicy. Her makeup was beyond saving by now as it streamed down her burning face with now drying blood. It was still wet in places, like slime oozing down a pallor cliff face.

Dollface suddenly had an idea.

She turned around, trying to find…

Aha!

Found it!

She grabbed a phone from the hidden stash of stuff the girls had brought. It was very obviously Izzy's, as the case was covered in cow print. She tapped in the password, the name of a beloved chicken, and tapped SnapChat.

Dollface's grandmother saw no need of any device or social media, same as most of the other parents of the girls, except Izzy's mother, who'd supplied her sweet daughter with a used iPhone 6 and access to apps like Insta and Snap.

Dollface snapped her picture, captioning it: "Just had a chat with my boss, lol!"

And pressed 'Post to Story'.

Izzy had made a serious amount of friends since the summertime. Dollface was filled with pride, then a bit of melancholy. Was this why Izzy had been avoiding her?

Not satisfied, but enough to move on, Dollface washed herself in the sink. Gargling straight water, scrubbing her face, and chewing mint gum while applying her makeup to match the new top hanging behind her in a clear plastic bag.

It was yellow.

Not Chica yellow, but a deep saturated gold with purple bands and a matching tie and headband.

Brown outer eye blended in with honey yellow, with the supplied Urban Decay Honey pallet. She smeared on the deep, deep red matte lipstick.

That same, dripping color like the one that had been on the golden bear's face that night. And that same color as the liquid smeared across the vent system of Freddy's.

Dollface pulled the gold top over her bare shoulders, and clasped the choker around her neck. She looked at her blue curls that shied away from her neck and face, piled high on her head and slipped the yellow bear ear headband into it. She flicked the dark violet hat.

Dollface sighed, looking mostly clean.

Did the blue clash? No time to think about that now.

Dollface scurried out of the bathroom and approached Mr. Hushell. He cupped her sharp chin and razor jaw in his hand and smiled down at her.

"Good."

"Sir," She said with an edge, stepping away from him just as his sweaty thumb rubbed her cheek, "where's Mister Emily?"

"Oh yes, I knew you were going to wonder." He said, voice slicker than an oil spill, "Henry went home. He owns a house here with it's own workshop."

"Really?" Dollface said, raising a dyed eyebrow. He knew she was skeptical.

"You do realize how much money he's been making off you."

Oh.

Yeah.

Was this why he hadn't spoken up about the makeover forced on them? Dollface's shoulders slumped at the realization that they were right. She was easily replaceable, just a cash grab.

"Don't worry, we need you." Mr. Hushell said, tone soft.

Dollface was suddenly very invested in her feet.

"Look, we even have new shoes and socks for you." Mr. Hushell put a hand on her shoulder. She saw something purple from the corner of her eye, but it slipped away too fast to identify. She wondered if she actually saw it.


	67. Hollywood Undead

Henry observed his latest toy for Charlie squawk it's pink muzzle.

It was a dinky plastic bear he dubbed Helpy.

The little workshop teevee flickered on.

"What the…?" Henry twisted, leaving the yelping bear to its own devices.

The teevee flickered and flashed static until a heavy groan poured out of it. Henry peered into it, trying to understand why it was making that bizarre noise. He pounded his fist on it until an image flashed and held.

A cheery little tune played over the vision.

"What am I looking at here?" Henry absently asked to himself as a Fazbear song played.

Wait, is that…?

Yeah it is. It's The Escape Room.

Why is he seeing the camera feed?

Henry shrugged it off, not one to question anything.

He turned back to the toy, which had started barking.

Umm, excuse me?

The frequency and volume of the barking increased until Henry's ears started to blare. He backed away from the little barking bear, and hit a wall.

"Don'cha remember Jeremy?"

"Ah!" Startled, Henry turned around to face the heftier pink bear behind him as it leered in scruffy face.

"We all float down here!" The large bear clowned, lifting the man in the air, unhinging its jaws. Henry screamed as he slipped into the gaping abyss.

"It's me, _Michael_..."

...Hushell finished up his paperwork, much calmer after Dollface shout "Showtimes are on the hour; not a moment too soon, not a moment later!"

Everything was falling into place. He just had to find a way to get rid of Henry Emily. The idiot couldn't stay this complacent for any longer. He'd see through his own naivety. Besides, the small army of parents with missing children and one of the richest men in the world was breathing down his neck about lawsuits and patenting rights.

Hushell sniffed.

Oh, gross.

What was that smell?

He grabbed the walkie talkie for contacting a janitor to hunt down a dead rat hidden in the office.

"Yeah, get yer asses over here." He said, hearing his voice crackle and echo behind him.

He turned in his office chair and stared up at the scrawny janitor leering down at him with a red fire extinguisher poised to strike...


	68. Feel a Hurricane!

"Where is everyone?"

Now after closing, Dollface kicked around the carpeted stage. Izzy let out a breath and stopped emptily waving and the fake smile on her round face fell.

"Finally!" The auditorium was empty and Izzy's voice echoed around the room. She slipped her orange Louboutans off from her feet and marched in front of the rotting rabbit. She put a hand on the little gate separating him from the rest of the world and stared.

"Stinks in 'ere." Wollfie said, wrestling the giant, star-studded shoulder pads from around the standing drum set. "M'legs 'r killin' meee!"

"Yeah, how does your sister do it?"

"Easy." Regina said from the doorway. "It just comes from being more graceful than you lot."

She tried to catwalk forward, but completely unused to flats, fell flat on her face. The ferals laughed raucously as she pulled herself up. "Ow! My boobs!"

"Ew ew EW!" Regina squealed at the grease and dirt already on her hands being joined with more floor accumulation.

"Hardee har har!" Regina sarcastically quipped as she sat up on her knees. "What is with this place and disgusting floors and doorknobs?"

"Yeah, ya gotta point," Dolli Mae wondered to herself, "Then again, buildings like this are just built all gross an'grungey…"

Dollface leaned against the railing, entire body screaming and telling her that she should stand as far away from the rabbit as possible. She slid her petite feet from her new sunflower gold Louboutins and ignored her fight or flights.

Princess placed her red and rainbow guitar on a stand and patted it as her eyes glazed over. Dollface's shoes hovered in the air, and she had to stare in wonder. How did Princess do it?

The other girl's shoes collected themselves and joined the yellow pair hanging just out of reach.

"I'll go look fer Hushell, y'all can grab yer stuff fer when Henry comes t'get us back to t'hotel."

"Okay." Wolfie said, "Shall I join ya?"

"No," Dollface said, shaking her head, a steady feeling of discomfort rising in her bones, "Make sure Regina actually gets her stuff instead of makin' you guys carry it."

...Izzy grabbed her bags of makeup and street clothes.

"I'm too tired to chaaaaaaaange," Wined Wolfie, "We'll get to t'hotel and change again!"

"That is fair," Princess said, pulling a bag onto her back. "Back exit, near the loading dock, right?"

"Yeah, definitely," Dolli Mae confirmed. Tiny but mighty, she hauled the military issue bag Dollface carried all her stuff in and grabbed her own stuff. "Reggie, can ya get yer stuff?"

Regina's nose twitched. "Fine."

….Ciel sat up in bed in his usual cold sweat, panting as the blanket fell into his lap. Mamie looked over at her alarm clock, one she made sure to include because Sebastian waking them up every morning made her uncomfortable.

It was around 4 am.

Mamie touched her husband's pale arm, making him jump out of his skin.

"W-who are y-you?"

Mamie cocked her head sadly, hearing the voice of a broken little boy floating into her ear beside her. She tentatively placed her hand on his arm again, just trying to grab reality back.

In a world past time and structure hidden in this mansion, Marion Cowatch-Phantomhive, American wife of one of the most powerful men in Great Britain and supermodel for the finest fashion lines and prints in the world, sat up at four am to hold her husband in her arms like a small child and whisper to him as she hypnotically rocked.

She hummed a song about trobadors and puppets and bulls and pretty ladies in pretty dresses until he calmed himself down.

"What was your dream, my love?" Mamie whispered.

Ciel trembled, "It isn't safe."

"It is here." Mamie said, stroking his blue-balck hair. She felt the silver metal stud in his ear from when he'd been sold and tagged like the cows on her father's childhood ranch. He's even been branded, right under his shoulder blade. "It is now."

"But not for them."

"The other children are out of their misery," Mamie said, with a pause, "You… You did the right thing."

"Then why don't I think so?"

Mamie sighed, "What happened this time?"

"They were there." Ciel said, flatly.

"Who?"

"Regina and…" Ciel's purple eye and blue eye blinked behind his hair. He couldn't say it, so Marion did for him.

"Dollface?"

He nodded. She held him tighter.

After more silence, Ciel said, "I want them in the school. Right now."

"You promised you wouldn't do this, Ciel."

"They aren't safe."

"My parents are doing the best they can." Mamie insisted, "They're doing fine with your girls. And they may as well finish the school year."

"They aren't safe in that town. They aren't safe with those people." Ciel insisted in his businessman voice. It was one he'd practiced since age ten.

"Yes, they are."

"It's been over sixteen years," Ciel said, "And even though I refuse to tell anyone about Dollface, I want her in St. Godivas'. Now."

Mamie sighed, "Let's talk it over in the morning."


	69. Rise and Shine

"Look." Dollface said, box pressed to her chest, leaving the bathroom after Izzy hurriedly split everyone up to find any exits. "We can't waste any light, so I'll just tell ya as we go, 'kay?"

Reggie nodded, breath clipping as she shakily stepped forward.

"Last summer, something happened, Somethin' reeeeeeeeeeeaal bad." Dollface said, trying to think of how to explain it as the walked, counting her steps, "And we weren't sure if we were gonna escape th'pizzeria."

Reggie nodded, pretending to understand.

"It was a Freddy Fazbears'. We just got back from a gig in one of the sister locations and it was midnight-" Dollface touched the wall, "-Midnight exact-"

"-And that's when they woke up and tried t'kill us. I was an idiot and told everyone t'split up. That's how they almost got us."

Reggie nodded again, not really following.

"We were locked in there 'til six. The guy who locked us in, someone we trusted, wanted us dead. He set the place on fire when the 'bots failed." Dollface sniffed and looked at the clock ticking on the wall. Regina stumbled, stride broken as she heard her older sister whisper; "There were just so many."

Reggie desperately wanted to ask who and why, but her tounge was tied behind her teeth.

"I shouldn't be worryin'. Henry's probably late, and gettin' our bags by the employee exit, even if it was barricaded, was a great way to cut down on time in this ugly place. See? Lights ain't out. We're fine."

Reggie didn't believe that. Not in the slightest. She watched the little red strip align perfectly with the other two hands on twelve.

The building let out a dying whir as the lights went down to nothing but red exit signs.

"Let the games begin."

...Princess walked down the corridor of the arcade section in the maze, thoughtfully scratching at her pale foundation hiding a large pimple on the side of her nose.

Wow, they really did go all out for this place.

"Wait a damn minute!" She exclaimed, looking at the charred Street Fighter. "That is MINE!"

She rattled it excitedly, seeing her named scratched in the side with her highest score etched with it. This was the one!

The exact one!

The one she'd dominated at Friendly Bear's Lazer Arcade. The one with Chelsea Chicken and her singing cheesecake and and Rodney the red rabbit and the blue fox and-and-and-!

Friendly the latex faced bear.

Princess smiled, hands on both sides of the dead machine, remembering what life was like before working at Freddy's, before Ballora and Bonnie and all the accompanying nightmares that she couldn't ever begin to explain to her girlfriend.

Lilly didn't deserve to see the horrors Princess had witnessed that night.

Princess saw her reflection in the blacked-out screen and listened to the building wind down around her as the darkness fell and smothered her like a blanket.

The screen continued to be disapointingly black, no matter how hard her hands squeezed the cabinet sides.

Princess's shoulders fell as she turned away.

What was she expecting? Life where there was none? One last round?

The building had burned last summer.

What was left was dragged to this unholy place.

Princess marched stiffly down the arcade hall as bright violet Dahlia petals, dual-toned and intricate started to flow from the static filled screen of Street Fighter as the second night of Dia de los Muertos commenced in a swirling dance of petals and tickle around her ankles…

...Wolfie plundered through her section of the maze.

She plopped down on a random box.

Ugh, Louboutans suck ass.

So did her borderline cystic back-ne, but at least the shoes were fashionable.

One of the many reasons Wolfie was glad she was always put in a full body suit. Even if the current one had bigass epilettes with yellow stars and was a little tight around the crotch.

And chest.

Wolfie shifted her shoes off her aching feet and untied her converses at the laces hastily thrown over her overly padded shoulder. She looked at the animal toe pattern she'd painted one th white caps and slipped them on the footies of her body suit. She tapped her heel against the tile and sighed, relieved.

"EEK!" She jumped off the scorched blue box she'd been sitting on, then let out a breath.

"This place gives me t'willies." Wolfie derisively muttered. She stalked down the corridor, never heeding the scorched present's lid creak open in a delicate spray of white Poppy petals…

"...You are brave." Izzy assured herself, "You are smart. You are kind."

Then why don't I believe it?

Izzy stopped picking at her face, eyes closing as the lights went out.

"It's just another night." She said to the funhouse mirror and the darkness whirring away. Just find a way out, easy, right?

Henry didn't come yet, he's probably just late. In traffic.

Or working.

Or something.

Anything but betrayal.

Not again.

Did she hear hissing as sge wandered into an 'Employees Only Zone'?

Right behind her left ear?

Like static?

Or breathing?

Was that a smell tickling her nose and making her feel nauseous?

No, 'twas her own silly, overactive imagination.

Or was it?

"No." Izzy said with confidence, "Nothing's wrong. We're like foxes in th'garden. Splittin' up t'get th'jump."

Izzy knew this was a good idea.

There's only one possible thing in here, and who were to assume they weren't alone?

What are the chances?

Something rattled behind her.

Izzy whipped around to the pots and pans behind her.

Nothing.

A rat scurried over her orange feet and she squealed, kicking in the air.

She fell back onto a metal counter.

Why was there a fully functional kitchen?

In a horror attraction?

That reheats pizza?

Izzy sighed, turned, then frowned, rat gone.

It had been an awful fat one too.

She left the employees only zone and a trail of yellow marigold petals followed like lost dogs...

Dolli Mae jumped and squealed, then calmed down upon landing.

Oh thank God, just an uglyass wall decoration.

Hah, silly, wasn't it?

Dolli Mae searched the Foxy attached to the wall, arms dramatically outstretched and jaws hanging open.

Foxy looked ecstatic to see her.

It had done its job, scare her. She tapped the tarnished hook. Wait a second…

Dolli Mae got onto her tippy-toes and saw the holes in the scarred fursuit. She cupped the side of it's sculpted face, counting each bullet holes like stars in the sky.

It was him, the monster under her bed.

_SNAP_!

Dolli Mae let out a yelp as the slack jaw bounced and snapped shut at the trigger, along with the moth eaten eyepatch, nearly taking off her nose. The springlocks were still in there and somehow still fully functional.

Dolli Mae stepped back, not wanting a more important body part snapped off like twigs on a tree.

She sighed, and turned with red sunflower petals nipping at her heels, and tried to find another exit.

Maybe the bathroom had an open window.


	70. Cassandra

"Dollface?"

"_Ja_?"

"Dollface," Regina said, arms like iron bars nervously crossed over her stomach, "Something really, really bad is coming."

"No it ain't."

Regina gulped.

"Not if we try."

That didn't sound like her sister.

Well, it did, but not really.

It sounded like a fake.

"We can get home. I bet we'll be out in ten minutes."

It was tinny, and laggy.

"We just have to find the front entrance. That might be it!"

"D-Dollface?" Regina reached a trembling hand to her sister's shoulder like a scared cat's paw.

"What?" Dollface spun around.

Regina dropped to her ass, screaming.

"What?!" Dollface yelled in a voice that sucked Regina's soul out her wide open mouth and chilled her bones. She couldn't tell if this creature of metal and flesh was angry or sympathetic.

Regina tried to scoot away from the monster with teeth too big for its mouth pretending to be her sister. There were so many, the metal teeth shot out the latex face around the mouth. Limp blue curls spiralled around the latex face like a lame tidal wave. Dollface dropped the box in her claws and scowled, kneeling.

A purple lid dropped over her eyes like a doll, complete with ratty fake lashes that left behind the painted black lines.

Regina whimpered and screamed as they reopened, hitting the wall of the escape room with her back.

Dollface, or the monster, whatever it was with its ripped flesh and exposed metal tore Regina to her feet.

Regina struggled and ran.

Barely staying on her feet, legs not used to flats or exercise, Regina smashed into Princess.

"Princess! Princess!!!" Regina yelled.

"Chill out."

The voice.

The voice that crushed all hope.

The voice if the dead that swirled like petals.

Princess's voice, but not really.

"What are you afraid of?"

Regina's eyes widened, seeing Princess's oval face filled with teeth and cracked glasses.

Regina pushed her and ran.

"BITCH!" Princess screeched at the neurotic sister's retreating back.

"Hey there!" A long arm snatched her as Regina tried to escape, but she was too slow, having never been made to run.

"Whats' wrong?"

"Wolfie?" Regina felt her soul crush like a grape.

A very bland, wide smile across a white face, lined with tiny, triangular teeth in rows like a shark's set of pearly whites.

"Get off!" She ran from Wolfie's grip, and further and further into the maze, past Izzy in a torn dress with too many teeth and peeling flesh.

Regina stopped in a new room full of pirate toys. Plush foxes with eyepatches lined the walls with model ships and balloons.

She leaned against the wall, eyes closed.

She's safe.

Whispers.

Her black eyes shot open.

Dolli Mae was leaning against the wall across from her as someone seemingly cornered her with his body cloaked in a similar costume.

She looked like some back alley whore talking to a client.

Regina tried to see in the darkness who the bigger pirate was.

He turned his head of artificially red curls.

"What'cha lookin'?" He accused. Twin golden eyes stared at her, both inset dark faces with skin peeling off to reveal a metal endoskeleton.

Regina stared. His long, red coat, was hiding metal muscle and springs that could rip her in half.

"N-nothing!"

Dolli Mae looked around the mostly empty cove.

"What's her deal?" It was only her and a million fox plushies starin' at Dolli!


	71. The House of Memories

Dollface sighed.

What a flake!

How was that tramp related to her?

Dollface sighed again and knelt to lift the lid of her dropped box.

The hat, nestled in the bullwhip's coils, was in perfect shape.

Dollface pulled her headband off.

The hat's brim fell over her right eye. She giggled, already hearing the sound of Satan's asshole trumpeting.

"_Sooooooooo_-EYYYYYYYY!" She shouted loud enough to rattle the ribs of the dead, "_sssssssssoouuuuuuuu_-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! _Pigpigpigpigpig_!"

Only one way to draw out an animal of any kind, and this was the best way to do it...

"…One two," something behind Izzy's ear whispered, "Freddy's coming for you…"

Izzy turned.

"Shut it!" She yelled into the semi-darkness, "I know you're here, you stupid rabbit!"

"Three, four…" The voice of a little girl broke out into a giggle before continuing, "Better lock your door…"

"C'mon, you ain't foolin' me!"

"Five, six, you'll lose it…"

"_Shut_ UP!" Izzy whined, wheeling around to try and find whatever had them stranded in this hellhole.

She had been right, something was in this building with them, but it wasn't one as expected.

Glowing purple eyes swam into her vision as she gasped and tripped in her heels with a sickening crack as a heel popped off and her left ankle subsequently snapped wetly underneath her.

Izzy found she was no longer alone in the swirling clouds of yellow marigold petals...

...Princess took off her shoes and replaced them with sneakers, tossing the red bottoms over her shoulder.

That's better.

She shivered.

Ballet shoes were one thing, heels were another and this building had NO heating whatsoever.

Princess started twirling as flower petals danced alongside her. She let the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy play out in her head as she steppy-steppy-stepped forward and down the hall, past hallowed pictures and digital monuments.

She was beauty as she pirouetted down the halls.

She was grace as she lifted a leg and slowly spun down the passageway.

She had a smear of red on her face as her eyes stayed closed.

"Waah!" Something iron latched onto her outstretched arm, making her open her green eyes wildly in sudden fear.

"So nice to see you here with me!"

Princess tried to struggle away from the leering blue bunny with smoke stains up and down it's face that tried to pull her closer.

Princess screamed as the machine leaned in with a hot blast of rotting air, iron grip from where a fursuit glove had warped from the heat. She slammed her feet into his belly and watched it cave in.

"Why are you blue?" Bonnie the **MOTHER**_fucking_ bunny sang, "You know I'll be true…"

"I am a dyke!" Princess loudly interrupted.

He stopped, head mechanically snapping toward her and if a robot could emote, he would've looked offended, "What?"

Ever the literalist, Princess yelled, "I am a…"

His magenta eyes intently stared at her with an interest.

"Ho. Mo. SEXUAL!"

"Whatever!" he said, "I do what I want!"

...What are ghosts, really?

They are the handfuls of memory left behind once a soul is gone.

Nothing more, really.

Each memory is like a puzzle of pictures to be put together to chronicle the life of a soul, just an afternoon past time for rainy days and old folk's homes.

This one is stuffed in a shoebox.

An article in Spanish about yet another man on the border, dead of an overdose in his kitchen, normal for borderlines. Where will his pregnant widow go?

America, of course, good luck to her.

To find a new, and hopefully better father for her son. Good luck on that.

Five years later.

A picture, simply tagged, '_Homecoming_'.

A dark boy stood on a white porch surrounded by the mother and the new, lighter father.

This trend is kept up, bouncing back and forth between Spanish and English.

Joined by a little boy, then little girl on the porch.

By now, children had started talking based off what little they understood of this close but far away land called 'Mexico' and had started rumors.

'Cause kids will do that.

More pictures.

New to him old truck, growing up, chasing children, mostly cousins, lots of family…

Each snapshot a new world to explore, frozen in thought.

Our real story starts in California on an unusually warm day in early spring, 1987.

"Back any better?"

Vinnie looked up at his grandmother and nodded. More chatter back and forth in Spanish, ending with, "Cotton Ball Legs", and eventually, Vinnie was finished freeing the gutters of random debris.

"Almost summer already."

"_Si, Abuela_."

Vinnie stepped down from his ladder. A family reunion was coming up soon, meaning that he had to help clean up soon. Today he had to spend time at his grandmother's house in his jean shorts and grey teeshirt.

The grey teeshirt with the sides cut out.

It drove his step-father mad, along with the earring that made him look 'like a fag' (Funny enough, Vinnie had walked in on him really givin' it to the pimply guy at the gas station counter. Vinnie, uncaught, promised to never, ever do that on every level possible, and distracted the halflings upstairs with toys and helped Zachary win that _ONE_ **Super Mario Bros**. level while Elizabeth played with her ponies...) and the car given by an uncle, probably Pedro, he tended to do that, when he was fourteen and sat in the garage to tinker with at Vinnie's lesiure.

The garage was for William and his mechanical toys, not Vinnie's car which was sitting in the driveway, ready to go, as we speak.

After placing the ladder back in place, Vinnie pulled the keys out of his pocket.

"Be careful, _mijo_." She said as he spun the keys around his finger.

He laughed. "Always am."

Vinnie arrived at Fredbear's Family Diner.

He pulled into the employee parking spot and stretched his back out, wincing from where he'd been thrown against a sharp table corner.

He'd fallen to catch his little green-eyed, red-brown haired, 'exotic' sister. She'd been proud of her grades and wanted to show them to her _Papi_.

William was busy.

He didn't want visitors.

Vinnie wasn't the biggest fan of William, but he didn't know anyone else to call that.

Dolli Mae rummaged around the box, not sure what she was looking at, but her brain pieced together the narrative without hesitation.

"What happened next?"

As if by magic, a new slip of paper fell into her hand that was quickly sifting out random red petals.

"_'Son of Fabear Ent. Killed in Workplace Accident'_?"

"That can't be you." She whispered to herself, "That can't be right."

She looked at the photo of a light bear covered in splattered darkness and a group of rough looking teen boys being hauled off in handcuffs next to a low stage and a man in a rabbit suit.

"But it was my brother."

Dolli Mae squealed and dropped the news clipping.

"Vinnie?"


	72. Dance, Dance

Regina sat on the floor.

Something was going to happen.

Her entire body felt like lead.

An image surfaced in her brain of the funny man in the drain she'd met.

An office.

A vent grate.

Was that where she had to be?

Was that man friend or foe?

Was the vision right this time?

It was better than hanging around here, that's for sure….

_whip-SNAP!__whip-SNAP!__whip-SNAP!_

Dollface cracked the leather snake across the bear's huge belly as he swiped at her.

"C'moooon, bear bear bear bear!"

Freddy howled with laughter and roared, "You'll float too!"

"I don't give a fuck!" Dollface yelled. "Ya scared away m'idiot sister!"

"Just imagine a trip to a wonderful land" Freddy breathed, whip slicing through his jelly belly covered in smog stains, "A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. A land of candy, and jam, and iiiiiiice cream!"

"And early onset diabetes!" Dollface flipped her grandfather's wool wide-brimmed hat from her eyes and dodged a dreaded blow to her stomach. "You ain't gettin' me this time!"

"Aren't we your friends?"

"No!" Dollface shouted as she ducked, then shot between the bear's peeling legs. She pressed against a tiled wall and panted, sweat bead on her forehead, pulling her foundation from her face as the room spun.

_WHAM_!

Dollface's eyes shot open as Freddy's fist slammed into the wall by her face and crushed it from the sheer force of titanium.

Eyes widening like a doe's, she stared at the fist and the face attached, screamed, and dropped down, sliding once more under her adversary's legs.

"Now where are you goin'?" He scooped her up before she could stand by the collar, "Wanna play?"

Dollface scrambled around in his arms and fell to the floor below and ran in her boots, whip discarded.

Damn, she'd have to get it back later...

...Watermelon headed Chica was singing loudly as she set out plastic tea cups at empty places on the pink, blue and yellow striped tablecloth.

With a licensed 'Chica's Magic Rainbow' staring wildly at Izzy from under a vase of yellow marigolds and moldy sandwiches.

And worse was that she found herself completely unable to move for fear of a squeaking blast of rotten furnace air attacking her with a fire in its belly.

And even if she could, escape was futile. She'd completely snapped her ankle!

Stupid heels!

Chica waddled over and raunchily burped in her guest's face with a blast of humid death, dropping a purple teacup at Izzy's place.

Great, her favorite color.

All of this had been so unplanned.

Izzy's head drooped as she held back a spew of vomit.

Or tears.

She'd messed up _BIG_ time.

"This one's my favorite!" Chica proclaimed, holding up a pink teacup with Cabbage Patch Kids printed on its sides.

Well, that's one favorite collectable franchise ruined for Izzy. If she managed to get out, she'd toss her collection into the streets.

Or the GoodWill.

In Idaho.

Or Barbados.

Who cares if that was a lot of money?

As far from here as possible was perfect!

"Don't you just-" Chica paused, mid sentence, "-hold up a sec-" Chica burped and farted as loudly as possible by throwing her torso off-kilter and crushing her knees in.

"The real Chica the chicken wouldn't do that!" Izzy shouted indignantly.

"What did ya just say?!"

Izzy gulped.

Oh no.

"One time I saw a bird sleeping in the snow. It wasn't moving. I wonder if it was just that nice there. I don't feel very good. I'm cold and I want to go home. Things don't breathe when they sleep in the snow. I can't breathe."

Izzy looked at the little girl standing in Chica's place in a fluffy dress and a yellow oil slicker coat to match her orange rain boots. She looked rather petulant, with wide set purple eyes and fishy lips.

"Which is why you shouldn't be allowed to either."

"…Can't catch me!"

"What the?" Vinnie laughed as Dolli Mae shot up and ran in a blur away from him.

He laughed and give chase throughout the maze.

Damn was Dolli Mae fast for such a tiny little lady. Remembering lessons learned in track and baseball, hell, even soccer, Vinnie paced himself then hid behind a purple curtain. Cheap, sure, but whatever.

They were only playing.

He held very, very still, listening for footsteps and breathing.

And at last, he did hear her and jumped out.

Dolli Mae squealed and laughed, then flew out of his arms like a dove, begging for him to tag behind.

And he did, remembering being invited to a baseball game among a group of neighborhood boys. He'd come to the small diamond set up in the town's park, next to the overgrown dog park no one mentioned and avoided glances at, and watched Dolli Mae Jenson in sport shorts and sweatbands step up to bat.

That was when Foxy had been hooked.

A girl who could beat her seven brothers and run as fast as him was enough to grab his attention, and the fact she also wanted a Navy career was just icing on the cake. Want a cherry?

Vinnie could pick her up under one arm or put her in a duffel bag and carry her away.

(If she was okay with that, of course!)

Dolli Mae looked over her shoulder at him as he gained on her.

She threw herself down a corridor so fast Vinnie practically slammed against the wall. Barely managing to skid to a stop, Vinnie touched it with a bare metal hand and waited.

Dolli Mae tiptoed forward.

He spun and held her hand. She squeezed it back, affirming.

And then they danced...

"If this is our happiest day, then why are we crying?"

Regina stared around the Cowatch's sterile white kitchen. She drummed her hands on the stained wooden table and sighed, not meeting her sister's red, almond eyes.

"So, uh, nice weather we're having?" She finally looked up at Dollface, feeling very numb. The lank blue-black hair fell into Dollface's red eyes.

She looked so very much like Daddy.

It was almost scary.

Reggie turned in her chair, no answer from Dollface.

It was inky black outside the little window over the kitchen sink that drip, drip, dropped onto a pan. She could hear creaking upstairs and the house sette around her.

It was so painfully quiet.

Dollface cocked her head.

A lonely car passed on somewhere in the emptiness.

"Dollface," Reggie asked slowly, calmly, "Where are we?"

"Home."

"Dollface," Reggie repeated, then paused, hearing just the two of them breathing, "Dollface, do you hear the music?"

"The music is not for you."

Regina tried to listen for the music again.

It had been joyful, yet drawn out and dulled by what felt like miles.

Dollface's head mechanically moved back in its original position. The ragged yellow bow slipping in her plasticky hair bristled in the motion, ribbon tails stained and fluttering.

"Dolly, my leg hurts." Reggie said, meekly, "And it won't stop."

"It will never stop." Dollface said flatly, "I am torment made flesh."

"That's great to hear."

Regina stared at the vase in the center of the table. It was full of such wilting, exotic flowers. She closed her eyes and started to nod off, just rest a little bit, and wait for the morning to come.

It was past her bedtime, anyway.


	73. Me and Mister Wolf

_...You'll float too_...

"Say that again?" Henry said to himself.

Jesus Christ, it was late!

Well past three a.m. by now!

He was glad Hushell had brought the girls to the motel though, Henry was just too engrossed in his work these days. And now wasn't an exception.

Wonder where Elizabeth Afton had gone.

Supposedly went with her mother to live with family in another country, but why would they leave Vinnie with William?

To make sure William wouldn't completely lose it?

He had Henry though…

_Hmmm_...

Henry pushed those questions away, glad he knew Charlie was in that cute little Elmore town, safe and asleep. He was glad she'd stopped screaming for Sammy.

And he hoped for Vinnie's safety as well, wherever he was.

Poor kid was blamed for the accedent, and some even claimed they'd seen him snatch Charlie's twin brother, Sammy.

Henry knew Vinnie wouldn't have.

He was a good older brother, even if he wasn't full related to his exotic looking siblings.

Was that okay to say?

And besides, Vinnie hadn't even been in the area, anyone there would've known that.

But William?

William had.

Trying to forget about dark topics that made him question things, Henry turned to his little teevee monitor in hopes he could change the channel, turning away from the endoskeleton...

Wolfie strutted up the halls, looking for the way out.

It had been HOURS since they split up.

She'd even had time to take a cat nap!

At this point, she could've just slept through the night and wait until early morning employees showed up and let them out.

How many times had she passed this ugly Bonnie statue?

And this kid's doodle of a yellow rabbit?

And this poster of Freddy ripping his head off?

_WaitWHAT_?

Wolfie double-took and saw it was just the classic poster of Freddy singing with his slogan, 'Are YOU Ready?' written around him.

Just corporate heebie-jeebies, nothing to worry about...

...Funtime Freddy turned from the monitors and control panel, satisfied at the placement of the vent blocks.

Just on time.

"Hey birthday girl, you look so nice," He crooned, "In your pretty li'l dress with your pretty black eyes."

"Hello Mister Wolf, what a surprise," Dollface answered in the security office's doorway, "To find you here so deep in the night."

Mike remembered working in a similarly dim office like this at some point, but didn't care to remember.

"How 'bout dinner, just the two of us?" He reached a long arm over to the tiny little Lolita.

"Oh Mister Wolf, you want me to stay?" Dollface looked at him, black eyes scared as she recoiled away, "but I believe you'll regret this someday."

Mike tried to pull her closer, but she stepped back, away from his long reach. He frowned.

"My dear little girl, just a bite?" Mike said as pink petals spilled from his flapping jaws, kneeling down on a knee, as if talking to a small child, "And soon, you'll be consumed with delight."

Dollface's dark eyes followed his blue gloved hand into his white suit jacket's breast pocket. He relished in the fear dancing in the girl's eyes.

He pulled out a lollipop and a handful of Sword Gladiolus petals.

A Funtom Lollipop.

She looked at it with darting black eyes, shoulders releasing coiled tension.

"Yes Mister Wolf, my hunger is real, but they say there's more than a meal."

He tried to offer it to her. She clenched a tiny fist and he smiled.

"Well, why can't we?"

"Michael, stop it!"

Well, well, well, the little slut thought she could fight back.

Let's humor her, shall we?

Dollface panted, trying to breath into her constricting lungs.

"No wonder Raina left you in the dust!" She snapped at him.

"Hey now, don't talk t'yer uncle Mikey like thaaaat!" The bear-man oozed, "I'm your Papa-Bear, babe'girl!"

"Shaddup!"

Mike looked at her.

Not bad.

"I know you did it." Dollface said, all too loud, "I know what you did in the dark."

"There ain't some lil creep behind ol' Papa Bear again, right babe'girl?" He smiled. "You'd tell me if that bad, bad man was there, right?"

Dollface recoiled, angry at his fake pity, then said with more edge in her voice, "I know you did it!"

"Did what?" Mike asked. He rubbed two big fingers against his latex forehead.

Patchy really got 'em that one time with the axe. Why hadn't Mike thought of that?

Oh well, one last chance to settle a score.

"I don't know, actually…"

Mike let out a laugh that was stolen from Funtime Freddy's showtapes, one too shrill and tinny for a big, heavyweight ex-Marine like him.

"You don't know?" He laughed, expansive chest rising then collapsing through the complex system of metal plates and hydraulics, "Let's calm down here. Spend the night with me and we can…." Mike leered closer to the painted whore's overly painted face, "Talk."

"No."

"Why not?"

She looked at him. "It's not right."

Something deep inside, the memory of a memory tried to force itself into a memory. Mike ignored the sunny summer days spent in a backyard with so many children running around him.

"You're disgustin'!" Dollface snarled, "You're my cousin!"

"So?"

"You're a wretched old man, and ya know what?"

"What?" He asked, biting his lip to burst out in more sharp laughter. Memories of Marine toy drives vaguely drifted past his mind's eye, but was soon pushed away like hanging suits of fur.

"You're a loser."

What?

Mike blinked his mechanical blue eyes.

"You're a loser." She crossed her skinny bare arms. "A creep, and a loser, and an asshole."

Funtime Freddy stared at her.

"You're a worthless meanie and can't even take care of your dyin' wife." Dollface said with a 'humph'.

"Ya _DUMMKOPF_!"." She said. "And a real fatass too."

"Well hey now babe'gurl!" He said, summer memories running over him, remembering being the best uncle in Elmore to at least Dollface, String Bean, and String Bean's little brother, Matt.

Remembering golden afternoons at his brother's house, horsing around in the backyard with his brother's kids, working at some arcade and keeping a group of feral girls safe and telling Jeremy to stop zoning out.

Wait, where was Jeremy, anyway?

He was a slacker, but he would be here, right?

Mike glanced his baby blues over at a moldy box full of old dismantled toys.

The little toy dog was sitting on top, brown eyes glassy and pink moth gaping at the water-stained ceiling, as grotesque as a real puppy's corpse on the side of the interstate highway that always whizzed past them.

Mike blinked at Dollface.

She slammed a steel-toed boot in ih face, punching out his lights as he remembered why he had even been put in this situation in the first place.

To protect the children.

He grabbed Dollface, not quite remembering where he was and holding onto her, needing to be grounded.

"What the HELL are ya doin'?!" She shouted harshly at him, trying to wrestle away, "I ain't yo mama, ya snivelin' baby!"

Dollface tried to fight away from the sensation of touch, no longer scared but pissed as he sobbed and tried to rock her and rub her back. As if she was the useless human being crumpling in hysterics.

Fucking loser.

Feeling weighed down by a fucking man-baby, Dollface kicked him.

She kicked him good and hard.

"Don't touch me, asshole!"

And then he looked up at her with the ugliest face she'd ever seen.

He was a sobbing shell of a man, fat and red eyed and rotting from the inside-out in a stained blue uniform, drenched in stinking ink. She finally got her skinny arms free and shoved his bulk away, where he clung to her like an incessant toddler, wailing like a synthetic banshee.

And finally the security guard exploded into a ball of delicate pink petals.

Dollface's small hands gave out under the pressure she was using, and grabbed fistfuls of flowers. She threw them with distaste into the air like confetti and stomped away, pulling her hat over her eyes.

What a loser.


	74. Dead Man Walking

Dollface ran her way back to the stage.

Was it…

Darker in here?

Yeah, it was! The little stars left on for security reasons were shut off. She distinctly remembered them being on even after the power was cut.

Something loudly rolled to her feet. She picked up the hefty metal cylinder and felt its dead weight in her hands.

Maglight.

She twisted the head to her ears annoyance and found that no, it was a button user.

Dollface slid a hand up and down the barrel, finding the little rubbery indention, ignoring the skittering coming from where the display stage next to the show stage was.

Something was shifting in the dark.

Dollface couldn't see it exactly, but she knew there was something on the main stage, silently swinging in the darkness. It was like a slight displacement of air near the stage, and the sensation of motion accompanied it like the swarm of flies buzzing and skittering around her face.

_Click_!

On flickered the high powered flashlight's beam.

Dollface gasped and stepped back.

She tried to turn away and leave at first, bust she found herself much too far into the room to back away from the buzzing organs wrapped around the show stage lights. Hushell's head swung from an unidentifiable rope of mangled business suit and electrical wire, limbs hanging from sinews and tendons, bound together with zip ties and red dripping into a yellow mop bucket. Hushell's intestines were arranged like gooey Christmas ornaments around him as they dripped brown filth.

His bladder fell from the disemboweled body and splashed urine onto the carpet in a bloody mess.

Dollface's first thought was, 'He needs less fiber and garlic', and the second one was the memory of her first deer.

A buck.

It was the same array Hushell, or what little was recognizable without glasses, proper clothing, a missing dick, and his toupee.

Dollface's open jaw hung open and eyes watered from staring.

"Ya like it?"

Dollface's beam jumped and swung over to the display stage were the rabbit stood, headless.

No, not headless.

The thin-faced janitor stood, wearing the suit, head under arm and smiling at her.

How long had he been there, with paws spotted with red from where his soaked hands had leeched through?

How long had he watched her there?

With his free hand, the whimsically suited janitor slapped a button and laughed with mirth, revealing the organs to be tangled messily with the starlights.

Dark splotches were blotted lazily onto the purple curtains.

The silver stars embroidered on the tattered, burned cloth seemed to laugh in the mood light at her terrified glance.

"While you were visiting dear ol' Uncle Mikey, I was getting our room spruced up." The janitor said, "I would've used a security guard, but I just got transferred yesterday!"

He pursed his lips in thought, exposed neck covered in scars, "Or would that be Friday morning?"

Looking at Dollface, he smiled, "Doesn't matter! All that matters is that you are here now!"

"W-what do y-ya want?"

"Oh hush hush hush now!" He said, almost laughing, "Don't be so nervous! The whole, silver screen glare has fallen away now, I see."

"What?" Dollface squeaked out, eyes not sure where to look, "Who are you?"

"Oh pooh," the janitor put a paw on his hip, looking almost grandmotherly, "You really don't recognize me? I lost weight, if that helps. And don't worry, you're safe. I like the real you!"

"No, I really d-don't." Dollface said, hating her voice crack. ""W-who are you?"

"I'm me! It's me!" He said, laughter in his voice bubbling over once again. He seemed like he laughed a little too much, "It's me! You really can't recognize me?"

"No, I can't." Dollface said, not even scared anymore, now angry, "Who t'Hell are you?"

"It's me, your real Romeo."

...Wolfie stopped.

"What're ya doin' here?"

The little kid cocked their head.

"Shouldn't you be at home and in bed by now?" Wolfie said, suddenly realizing what she was saying, "Wait a fuckin' minute!"

She charged at the kid, not sure who to be angry at.

They sidestepped her in shapeless footie pajamas.

Wolfie hit a wall that hadn't been there earlier.

Wait, what they hell were they doing?!

It was after hours in a strange building full of God knows what and no one had pointed that out.

Oh God, this was the exact scenario she'd yelled at the screen with Dollface when Aliens was released.

How where they this stupid?

Wolfie herself had been the one who'd said shit like this only happened in horror movies and even emphasized that point.

Oh shit, oh fuck, they were dead meat!

Refusing this to be her reality, Wolfie turned from the stained wall.

"Okay then, ya lil shit!" She yelled, stomping her converse to an underwhelming effect, "Ya happy now? We fell for yer b.s!"

The child looked at its balloon.

Red, red, bloody colored red balloon.

"Do you think you're a hero?" They asked in a voice that sucked Wolfie's breath from her lungs. A voice so fluid and genderless, she was almost in awe.

She wanted to be that level of indeterminate.

"Do you really?" They said in a hiss like a sake in cold sand, "Can you save them?"

Wolfie kept her poker face stony, "What're you talkin' 'bout?"

"Them."

"Which 'them'?" She asked, not kindly but not with anger either.

"Any of them. Any of us."

"Okay ya lil twerp!" Wolfie felt her voice raise but was too annoyed to stop, "Tell me the way out, or I swear I'll-"

"Swear what? You can't swear here." The kid pointed at a dented aluminum sign covered in smoke stains.

'_Rule 9,_' it said in red crayon scrawled in the cramped space under rule eight, (_Leave Before Dark_, to anyone who wanted to know.) '_No Swearing_.'

Wolfie harrumphed.

Dammit!

"I don't think you should leave."

"And why is that?!" Wolfie growled, getting more agitated.

"Because we can't."

"I'll take you with me." Bargaining. Bargaining always won out with kids, right?

Wolfie really wasn't sure what to do with carpet crawlers.

This would be a great time for Princess.

"If we can't leave, you can't either."

Wolfie rolled her icey eyes, "I said I'd take you with me. I mean it."

She smiled at him, trying to show she was sincere, "Just follow me. Help me."

"It's not fair!" The kid yelled loudly, stomping angrily.

"Jeez, calm down!" Wolfie said.

"NO!" they shrieked, "It's not fair! If we can't leave, you shouldn't either! That means you're ours! You're one of us!"

Wolfie ran and grabbed the whining brat. They shook in her long arms, pale face stretching and shifting until their black arms pushed Wolfie into an inky iron cage of ribs, tears streaming down stained red cheeks. White petals swirled angrily around them and Wolfie's legs dangled from her perch on a boney pelvis….

...Princess gasped as the ghost of a memory pulled her along, nearly ripping her arm off in a dance of lost souls.

"Let go!"

"Too slow!" Bonnie mouthed, melted face falling onto the floor.

"No!" Princess said, "I don't like it!"

"Just play with me already!"

"I do not want to!" Princess said, getting closer to a sharp sob. Bonnie's skull leered in closer to her face as she dangled by her arm. She kicked him, making his stomach cave in with a puff of industrial smoke.

Her eyes glazed over.

"I am stronger now!" Princess said, twitching as her voice modulated around her throat like a wind tunnel. "I can beat you again!"

"But Princess, you lost our last game."


	75. Domestic Disputes

Henry started absently humming along to the tune on the monitor as a finger wandered up the bridge of his nose to adjust his slipping wire-frames. He stretched, yawned and briefly considered joining his boyfriend in bed.

That had been such a weird dream after all, maybe a nap would be a good idea.

Henry decided that this lullabye, this March of a Marionette, was getting annoying and absently reached for the remote.

He turned around and stared, startled at seeing someone on the screen.

Henry glanced over his shoulder at the animatronic he was finishing up and compared.

How could it be?

How could the Doll-Bot be here _and_ in the horror attraction?

At the same time?

Henry mumbled to himself then watched the screen flash, moving the mechanical doll reappear in the middle of the room, and in a blinding fog of static, change position again to stare into the camera with droopy eyes and a molded smile on her vinyl face.

Henry smashed a random button on his remote, playing loud laughter. A burst of static clumsily hid all movement as heavy footsteps quickly stomped and faded away with the visual assault leaving behind only the empty room.

...The hell?

Henry looked up at the shuddering, clanking Baby prototype that had suddenly spring to life.

"Hey hey hey hey!" Henry sidestepped his teevee and started shushing Willim's last creation.

He glanced up at the ceiling, putting a hand on the red shoulders of the circus clown used only once.

A plate recoiled and snapped back in place, making him jump, forgetting about his sleeping partner in crime.

Sometimes, this robot would turn on, snapping and shuddering with burning silver eyes.

Henry couldn't sleep with it in his house, hence the fact it was in Roger's. Henry hoped Charlie wouldn't ever have to deal with this thing.

Henry tried to look her over, trying to figure out what had turned her on. He inspected the lights in her opened chest cavity, the twinklers repurposed from Christmas decor in her red dress, the ones in her tiara forever cocked, and her spazzing white hands.

"What's wrong?" Henry nearly yelled, turning it into a whisper for safety's sake.

Knowing his boyfriend was also a bit of a techie and had put together a few 'bots, including the Candyman and the ever terrifying Musicman, Henry tried to find any of Roger's trademarks. Finding none when he considered how terrified of the toy Roger was, Henry tried to figure out if there had been any accidental triggers.

William had been a genius in his own right, and had figured out how to use audio to activate animatronics instead of showtapes.

That was one of several reasons this had stayed a beloved prototype instead of a usable character.

Vinnie had also been a genius, always helpful in the workshop. He'd been the one who'd figured out how the prevent springlock jams and the plate system, making repairs easier than ever.

Where was that kid?

LA, right?

Henry started stomping on Baby's roller-skated boot, trying to turn it off with the emergency switch.

But all he heard was the dreadful clicking of a malfunctioning button.

With a loud scream from boy the toy and the maker, a giant claw was released from deep inside the body cavity and scooped up Henry. He felt needles sink into his body the more he struggled and watched himself be ripped in pieces, blood on the cement floor.

Followed by a shower of stinking gold.

Then nothing.

The smiling face of the clown looked remorseful as it looked down upon spilled guts, picking up an intestine and gnawing on it with hidden teeth, face snapping, and thoughtfully said to herself, "You had every chance to stop it. You had every chance to stop Daddy. You didn't stop him when he hurt me and Mommy and Zach and big brother Zorro. And you didn't stop Daddy when he hurt Penny and Luke and Bailey and Izabelle." She said, leaning forward and spitting out the mush of meat like a bloody smoothie, "And you didn't stop Daddy from hurting those pretty girls either."

The Baby picked up random limbs, dropped them, then started wrapping the longer organs around her like scarves and boas, fluffing them out, feeling like a princess in her plastic crown and pretty makeup.

She decided she felt really pretty when she saw her reflection in a metal sheet.

She marvelled at her new found beauty, thinking the red looked good next to her piggytails of matted synthetic hair picked up from a Spirit Halloween in '85.

Eyes glowing green, she finished her thought, auxiliary arm wagging through general force of motion, "You could've done something, I guess. But I dunno. I'm gonna go sleep now!"

And in a flourish of petals sweeping over the puddles of blood and piss and other gross body fluids that she couldn't smell.

Petals of simple white daisies, one landing in her hair...

...It had been a day in late '86 when the robot was finished.

"Daddy, why won't you let me see her?" Elizabeth had asked so innocently.

"Not for you, not yet." William said gruffly, exiting the closed garage, "And can you tell your damn brother to stop parkin' his car in my workshop?'

"I'll try?" Elizabeth piped, following him into the living room. She distinctly remembered him saying last year that it would be a playmate just for her.

When had that changed?

"Daddy, I wanna play with her," Elizabeth said again, "I did good in school, Mrs. McKee says I'm doing really, really good."

"I know," he moaned loudly, plopping onto an easy chair, "But she's not ready for you yet."

"Why not?!" Whined Elizabeth, wishing Daddy liked her more than Charlie the gross toddler that waddle around in smelly diapers and dribbled on the floor.

"Because!" William snapped at her, "Because I need time with her! With Baby all by myself so she can be perfect."

"Oh…"

"For you, of course." Willaim assured, sitting up and holding his exotic daughter's hand.

Elizabeth, in kindergarten, and Zachary, in third grade, were better children than Vinnie ever would be.

For starts, Vinnie had been dropped on him out of the blue, and William had thought that the woman he married was mostly perfect and unsoiled.

Nope.

He put up with Vinnie and the random relatives that would follow and eat their food. He was always happy when Vinnie was sent away for extended periods away in Mexico during breaks.

The car had been about it for William though.

William sighed, "_Ve a jugar en tu habitación, cariño_."

Elizabeth nodded, cheering up at the softening tones and forgetting about the new toys Daddy would buy Charlie whenever he saw her.

Elizabeth skipped upstairs, not before taking a pit-stop in her parent's room to steal some lipstick from Mommy's purse. She snuck from the darkened room, past her snoozing mother, and scurried to her room in the big house.

She sat at her pink plastic Barbie boudoir and started smearing red circles on her cheeks like her promised playmate's, then tried on her lips.

Like smeared red lines were her mouth was.

But she felt pretty.

Elizabeth walked downstairs with her ponies and Barbies and other toys from last Christmas to play with in the living room next to Zach.

"Ellie?" Willaim said, sitting up and sleepy, "What's on your face?"

Before she could answer, Willaim had woken up and grabbed her by her arm. She started screaming, which scared Zach away.

"Ellie!" William shouted, making her pee her pants a little, "What did I tell you about seeing her?"

Elizabeth cowered, then ran upstairs and into Zach's room, quickly being chased by a living terror.

Elizabeth tripped over one of Zach's older toys once she'd slammed the door shut and barely noticed her older brother hiding under the bed with other toys and the drape of the quilts.

She could hear her daddy thundering up the stairs.

The only good thing about this is the new toy that he would give her. If she was lucky, would it be the big one in the basement?

Elizabeth jumped into the closet.

Maybe he'd think she'd disappeared if he couldn't find her?

She hooked her fingers around the little slats on Zach's closet doors in an effort to lock it. She peered out into the world of toys and silence that was soon disrupted by and angry man.

"Ellie, where are you?" He roared, then dropped to his knees. He said, much quieter, "I'm sorry I got angry at you."

Elizabeth cowered in the closet.

"Ellie," William said, "I'll take you to Toys R Us later, and you can get any marvelous doll you want."

Elizabeth thought about leaving the closet. He'd done this before. That was how she got the boudoir set last year. Thinking, thinking, thinking…

"Look, I'll just leave," William said, standing up with a groan like any overweight middle aged man with kids would, "And you can come down when you're ready."

Elizabeth held her breath.

She watched his shadow move across the room and the door creak open, then slam shut.

Elizabeth let go, surprised he didn't chase her down like usual.

She sat there, Zach under the bed waiting together.

It felt like forever before the smell of beer dissipated.

It was forever and a day when she heard a car pull up in the driveway so far below.

It felt like even longer before the doorknob softly clicked and silently opened.

And Vinnie quietly padded in, still in his cleats.

Elizabeth winced as he closed the door, knowing Mommy would be 'pissed' at the muddy footprints on the wall to wall carpeting.

Vinnie stood in the middle of the room, saying something very quietly in Spanish that drew the children out of their hiding.

He knelt, falling level with his half siblings. His dark eyes noted a dark splotch around his eye socket just forming and swelling, then handed a wet wipe to Elizabeth. She scrubbed her chubby cheeks, red smudging onto white, stains on her skin.

Vinnie watched the door as she did, then stood to open it and look down the hall towards the stairs.

He looked at the arcade toy on the bed, the one of a golden bear, and Zachary defensively grabbed it. Vinnie waved to follow him.

Once outside in the breathable air, Vinnie picked Elizabeth up and tried to flag someone down, anyone.

But it was after five, and everyone in the suburb was home.

Maybe police would come slinking along?

The car wouldn't work. Vinnie wanted to get to it so bad, but William was locked in the garage with it, and the family van was getting repaired.

And then Henry drove by, very slowly.

Vinnie waved, trying to get his attention on the sidewalk.

Henry stopped his blue '81 Lincoln Continental and locked light eyes with Vinnie's dark ones. He looked at the family, Charlie and Sammy in the back, sleeping the day at pre-k off, and moved along.

Without emotion, Elizabeth, Zachary, and Vincinté de la Rosa Afton was left on the sidewalk, the day before the party.

The day before little Zach's birthday party at Fredbear's Family Diner.

And the day before Sammy Emily was taken very, very far away...

...Charlie sat up in bed and giggled.

The shadow rabbit was back!

She jumped off the bed and waddled over with her hands open and outstretched.

"Happy Birthday."

She was scooped up in it's paws, and handed over another present.

A golden rabbit. She giggled and hugged his neck.

"Charlie, would you follow me?"

"'Kay!" She said dismissively, hugging the new toy covered in red scabs and ignoring the increasing smells and buzzing flies.

"I want you Charlie."

"Mm-hmm!" Charlie said, squeezing the doll. It was better than the robot frog with glasses Dada made. It scared her soooooo much!

The Shadow looked at the door, then the clock. Four am.

"We need to be very very quiet!" He said.

"'Kay!" Charlie said, "Wanna know what I did today?"

"Always." He said, half listening to her tell about two idiot twin boys who weren't as perfect as Charlie ate shit and other stupid things chilren under eight did.

He wanted more than anything to caress her red hair, so much like her slutty mother's.

The mother had left after Sammy died.

The Shadow didn't care much for Sammy.

He wasn't a shining star like Charlotte.

But Charlie was perfect, and one after another, his toy soldiers were falling.

Now standing in the living room of a small house in Elmore, the Rabbit thought that tonight was right.

He lay her down tenderly on the fold-out and patted her hair in place. Charlie looked up at his leer and asked so tenderly, "What are you doin' Mr. Bunny-Man?"

"Leading you."

"Where are we goin'?"

"Somewhere." he assured, "just follow me. It's a surprise."

"Why?" she asked, ever so innocently. She glanced over at her bucket of candy, scored earlier in the night with her babysitters.

"Because if I can't have you, nobody can."


	76. Thunder Thighs!

"Stop whining!" Chica pushed herself into Izzy, or at least tried to.

_Hey!_ Izzy thought, mind wandering away with hope, _Thunder thighs **DO** save lives_!

"Stop pushiiiiiinggggggg!" Chica whined petulantly, "It's not faaaaaaaaaaaaiiiirrrr!"

"You tryin' t'kill me isn't fair!" Izzy protested, "so grow up!"

Snapped ankles having healed up enough after dragging herself around the room, Izzy had stood up again. Chica had charged in that waddling way of hers, and Izzy agily threw the chicken over her head.

Easy peasy.

But now Izzy was pinned, arms above her head and locked with Chica's hand. Easy enough to stall by pushing the yellow tub of feathers and stuffing away with her legs.

"C'mooooon!" Chica continued to whine, "It's not fair. It's not fair at all!"

"It's not fair what?"

"That you can just do this!" Chica moaned.

"Do what?" Izzy asked loudly, "What's yer problem?"

"That I can't play with my toy!" Chica yelled with growing static in her damaged voice, face melting, "I made you!"

"Made me what?"

"You're the toy he gave me! So play with me!" Chica snarled, latex face not showing anything more than the lopsided grin of burnt plastic.

Her neon orange beak smeared with black rot fell off, showing rows of metal teeth and her square skull.

Izzy, really starting to feel the burn squealed at the released smell…

"Hey." Bonnie said. He touched with a ghostly, scarred hand at the girl's blue hair.

She was on the floor, face down.

"You look like me now."

She stayed unresponsive.

Bonnie stayed in his crouch, looking at her pigtails and the flowing sea of plastic strands of hair. He touched them, and felt nothing.

No sensation.

He lifted an arm.

Covered in scars.

Some spiralled and slashed, or zigged, then zagged, but they were always even.

Always symmetrical on her. "Hey, you look like me now!"

She'd emploded from the force of overwhelming pink smoke.

"I'm sorry I ripped your hair out last time." Bonnie said, glasses too big and round for his face, "I just wanted to play."

He dropped the jointed limb and criss-cross applesauced. "Are you mad at me?"

Bonnie touched the pool of red and black forming around her. He started drawing a bunny head, with big, round eyes.

"Do you know what time it is?"

Silence.

"Dad got tickets in the mail one day. They wanted us to come here and play." Bonnie said, wanting to fill the needy silence, "I didn't mean to play so rough, I just didn't know I was."

The girl in purple and blue stayed quiet as she lay on the floor.

"Are you asleep?"

No answer.

He laid down. He looked at the tiny crown still clipped in her tangled hair and grabbed it. Turning it around and around in his small hands, counting one, two, three rhinestones in orange and pink in the gold material. He couldn't tell what it was.

"Goodnight."

Princess was showered with black Dahlia petals, crown rolling on the floor as the remains of Bonnie on the other side of the room slumped over, pink smoke still evaporating into the air...

"...I'm sorry."

"What?" Dolli Mae pulled away from Vinnie's lips, "Why?"

"Because I killed you."

"Whaaaat?" She chuckled, arms around his neck, "Now when was this?"

"Last summer." He said, gold eyes blinking slowly.

"What?" Dolli Mae stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry." Vinnie said, face of dark stone, "Please don't be mad."

"Wait." Dolli Mae put a hand on his chest. "Y'all here sum'n?"


	77. Toxic

Maggie was supposed to be the one dancing.

Not Dolli Mae Jensen, the skank from the small town of Elmore.

Maggie had crawled with Vinnie on the ceiling, following him, watching him. Wanting more than anything to reach out and touch the red curls.

She looked at the red string on her pinkie.

The bond was severed.

His end was tied to someone else's now...

"What the actual hell?!"

"C'moooon, I came back for ya!" He yelled, "why can't you recognize me?"

"Because!"

"It's me! William! Your boss!"

Dollface stopped dead in her tracks. No more backing away.

"Is this some sick game?" she asked, looking up at him as he closed the last yard of space before things got more uncomfortable.

"No, I just came back. Lost some weight, cleaned up a bit… You know, what you'd want to do for your good friend!"

"I'm not your friend!" Dollface insisted, sounding a little whiny, "I'm still not sure how you did it, but you did!"

"You really trust vigilantes?" William said, thin lips sneering across his face. He looked intoxicated.

Something golden rolled behind her. No notice was taken at this moment.

"Well, generally speaking-" Dollface put her hands together, backing away again. He pushed her down into a chair by her shoulders.

"No, you don't." William said, "Now, do you trust me?"

"Uuuh," Dollface said, trying to stand, but he was practically on top of her now.

"Yes, yes you do." He scooped her up like when he was posing her on a muscle car last summer for promotionals and stood her on a chair. She looked over his dry and crusty hair on his papery scalp, "So c'mon girlie, dance with me a bit, it'll make up for the month in the river and the week in storage."

"Don' fuckin' touch me!" She slapped his hand away, the one tipped right under her sharp chin.

"Hey, don't be mean," William cooed, "Or I'll be rude and go away!"

He brushed his hand down Dollface's body, starting at her collarbone as she squirmed, then pulled her and dipped her down in one motion, like an experienced dancer. He leered down. William restrained her arms, trying to keep her from moving in his cradle.

"Stop it!"

Willaim's smile turned into a grin showing yellow teeth as the smell of Jonestown, a place Grampa and Mike would talk about behind closed doors after a beer or two, came burning out.

Dollface struggled from his grasp.

He lifted his arms up with a laugh, "Oopsies!"

"Ugh!"

Black dribbled around his too-many-teeth smile. He rubbed an arm over the rotting liquid, smearing ink over his face.

"What is your fuckin' deal?"

"Well, when I first saw you, I felt my need beginning." William said, no longer a fat middle aged man with weird fetishes but a dry corpse, "You can call it a crush, maybe. That's what you'd call it right? But you were led astray. I wanted you to be perfect."

"Is that what you call it?" Dollface asked, genuine disgust finally in her voice.

"Well, you're here now, aren't you?"

"I'm not dead!" Dollface insisted, "Yer ab-so-_lute_-ly bonkers!"

"Oh, sweet girl, look down at yourself, look in a mirror!"

William grabbed her hands, "Look!"

Dollface, now forced to look at her arms in the golden light and gasped.

There were scars.

So many scars that looked nearly purple in the foggy light of gold stars. They were jagged and slashed across pale skin, bruisey and circular. They were perfectly symmetrical, curving at curves and stretching around her arms.

"Remember what it's like for springlocks to activate?" He asked, the smell of humanity's faults on his breath, "To have circuits and wires and hydraulics ripping through your organs, embed themselves in your skin?"

"N-no…

"You really are a forgetful little bitch, aren't you?" William let go, and started to circle her.

"N-no..."

The searing pain of Freddy as he tore the mask gifted to her ripped it off and slammed her like a ragdoll against the wall. Crawling away, only to feel her shoulder ripped out of socket as the big brown bear dangled her and waddled to a backroom as she screamed.

Dollface fell to he knees, convulsing uncontrollably as more scars appeared, as she remembered hearing her breath too loud, her heartbeat drowning all sounds out as she'd wailed to no avail.

To no safety.

She remembered now.

Dollface had died alone as the last girl standing.

She'd been the final girl.

She now remembered the feeling of penetration, how quickly cold metal turned warm.

Her fingers turned cold as open slits revealed in front of her widening eyes.

Joints, joints, JOINTS!

Dad really hadn't saved her.

Dad didn't love her, that's why he acted so weird at the hospital!

Dollface touched her face with numb hands, unable to feel, to register.

"How else could you survive every accident, every fall. How else could you go without food or sleep some days?" William Said, bending over to put his chin on her white shoulder with scars, eyes glowing purple.

She couldn't take the smell anymore, she couldn't take the rudely appearing patterns and joints. Dollface's plastic pink and yellow wig hair fell into her painted eyes and tangled in the cheap, thick, gray lashes.

Before another utterance, Dollface vomited red and black streaks of rot on the tiles…

...Maggie dropped in a clattering mess on the floor.

She hissed, second head rioting on her shoulder.

Maggie wanted to scream when she watch Vinnie put his bare metal hands on Dolli MAe's shoulders.

Why the Hell would he want someone like Dolli? She was so…

Basic!

Maggie was pretty!

And punk!

Why would Vinnie want a basic bitch like her?

Maggie howled in rage.

Dolli Mae gritted her teeth.

"It's showtime! And not a moment too soon!"


	78. Major League

Izzy felt her knees buckle and finally give out from the constant pressure of Chica's tubby body.

"Let's eat!!!"

"No!" Izzy tried to push the deteriorating face away from her own, and started screaming, arms now released from the plucky poultry's grasp.

This ain't the Bantams at home!

"Get away!" Izzy tried to think of what Ben would do.

Ben always knew what to say and do.

Make him proud to be yours.

And when you get out, you'll jump into his arms and know that everything will be alright!

"Can't you see?" Chica said, inner mouth clicking, "you're just like me!"

"No!" Izzy yelled over the whirring, "No I'm not!"

And then she felt numb, and

very,

Very…

cold...

"Lemme go!" Wolfie yelled as the willowy puppet ghosted through the halls.

She honestly couldn't be angry, everything about this had kinda been a bad idea.

Y'know, splittin' up and all?

It was just natural selection at this point.

"I can't feel my legs anymore." Wolfie said, not sure why, but hating the silence of an empty building.

She'd always thought that visiting abandoned amusement parks and stuff like that would be cool, but, she mused to herself, this wasn't what she was expecting.

Maybe it was because this place wasn't completely abandoned.

Just after hours.

"Hey hey hey now!" Wolfie said, "Where we goin' now?"

"It's time for bed."

"So?" Wolfie said, "This ain't m'house!"

"But it is our home now."

"Wait wait wait, hold up!" Wolfie protested, seeing the blue box that looked tiny from this distance, "How are we gonna fit that damn thang?"

"We will fit."

"And how exactly do _YOU_ know that?!"

"Because, I just do." The Marionette assured, lifted the lid to reveal glowing white petals and pools of smelly blackness, "You belong here with me."

"But why?" Wolfie asked, watching herself shiver as the doll put one foot in the grave. "It's cold there."

Cold like a grave.

"Now we have to make room."

"Wait, what th'hell are ya gonna-"

The last thing Wolfie heard before the cold, dark confines of silence overtook her was the sound of twelve firecrackers smashing her skull in...

Dollface scrambled under a table as her stolen whip snapped down where she was supposed to be standing.

"Hey girlie girl, calm down!" William sighed, "It won't hurt!"

"They always say that before hurting you!" Dollface protested as he flipped the table. Dollface grabbed the Maglight as it crashed down and smacked it into his furry knee.

William howled, falling down, nearly landing on her. Dollface barely escaped to the next table.

She had to get that whip back.

And her Grampa would be pissed if he found out she'd lost his hat!

Ugh, not _NOW_!

It was so weird what she was prioritizing right now.

She needed a helmet…

The head!

What was the golden bear's head doing here?!

Dollface fell on her stomach, sharply breathing as pain re-entered her body.

Well, at least she was more aware of herself!

Dollface slapped the bear head on.

This wasn't a mask anymore.

Not just a trophy either.

It was a battle helmet, and Dollface was fully immersed in the trenches.

Even if she had some serious tunnel vision now.

"Waah!" William whipped her feet out from under her. On the floor once again, she let out a wet cough and grabbed her Maglight from where it was rolling.

It was a pretty nice one, as long as a baseball bat and heavier than heavy. She wrenched it over her shoulder and swung.

"Strike one!" William laughed, shoving his elbow into her once-again soft tummy.

Dollface swung again.

"Steeeeeer-rike twooooo!"

"That's not how this works!" She yelled, swinging again.

"Strike three, you're out!"

"Fuck!" Dollface shouted, caught in the moment. She let out the garbled scream of toys as William planted a foot on her and pushed, then whipped her as she fell.

Dollface collapsed, skin stinging.

She couldn't even think as the welts raised around her wound. There was no other pain. No sewing needle stab or hot glue burn could compare to this. Dollface couldn't even will herself to stand or do anything but scream as he slashed her again and again and again...

...After grappling with Maggie, Dolli Mae was ripped away by the back of her coat. The giant red fox unhook from her and held Maggie by the string tie. Maggie writhed in the rotting pirate's grasp, limbs forminung where they shouldn't be.

Dolli Mae, not particularly worried before, sure was now as she watched them grapple, metal and fur feet planted, hands pushing.

"Leave!"

"Why?" Dollie Mae yelled, "Why should I?"

"Just take this!" The fox jankly kicked a manila folder of papers at her from where it dropped at his skeletal feet, _"¡Vamos! _Hurry!_"_

Dolli Mae scrabbled against the tiles in her boots and grabbed them.

"G-good bye!" Dolli Mae shouted to Vinnie as he pushed Maggie away. He reached to her open hand, to feel each other one last time, just to make sure they were real.

Dolli Mae ran, far, far away from the section of hallway, and down to a party room where she tripped in her heels and collapsed, unable to run any further in heels.

She put her hand to her breast, right over the cancer, and panted on her back, coat like a pool of blood around her.

Wait, no beating.

Usually in Cross Country and Track, she could hear her entire body working.

That used to be so comforting to hear herself living.

Dolli Mae looked at her hand.

She twisted it around, seeing new marks swirling across her arms and palms...

She shivered, then stopped, arms falling over her chest with the folder, feeling very cold, and numb, and sleepy.

She would later choke on a glob of coagulated blood in her sleep.


	79. Let's Make a Deal

"Sebastian!"

"Daddy can't save ya now, you're mine!" William laughed over Dollface's desperate howls for mercy.

Dollface tried to back away, but the deepening gashes kept her from even feeling her legs as she choked and sobbed.

"Call me your master, admit that you love me!" William yelled at her. He dropped his whip and fell to his knees, leering. "Baby, I'd never leave you. You could have everything you want, fame, fortune- everything!"

Dollface squeaked and tried to scoot away on her butt, using her uninjured arms to back away as he fell onto her. She knew that she had such an advantage, but the idea of even trying to move her lower body made her scream in pain.

He kept leaning forward, hollow nose to nose. She tried so hard to back away, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Sebastian…"

"Make me your god."

"Se-" Dollface breathed, eyes squeezing shut, "Sebastian, please…"

_WHAM_!

Dollface howled as William backhanded her as he straddled her, unable to register any emotion past fear and pain.

Unending pain.

Pain so great is made her eyes burn as she forced them tighter down, seeing silver, then white.

"Don't you _DARE_ even to utter another man's name in my presence!" William howled, shaking her.

Dollface sobbed harder. She would've thrown up if she could, but her stomach had been emptied on the other side of the room in a stinking mess.

"No, no, baby, don't cry!" William insisted, sounding almost sympathetic. He finger combed her blue curls, "Baby doll, don't cry, I promise to be good.I just lost my temper. Dollie, please understand, I don't mean to be so upset!"

Dollface choked, feeling more afraid of the quieter tones than the angry monster in her closet.

He shushed her, caressing the back of his hand on her wet cheek, "Baby doll..."

Dollface whimpered, pain burning low as her body bled out and nerves stopped firing.

She was shaking so hard.

"You aren't cute. You're not pretty. You are perfect."

"Se…" Head rolling over as she felt William mess with her shirt, Dollface whimpered with what little she had left, "Sebastian, please…"

"_Yes, young mistress_."


	80. Nevermore

Where the hell had that bird come from?

William stood up from where the giant black mess of greasy black feathers had attacked him, throwing him off his groove by making him jump up and fall onto his back.

Now that wasn't cool!

Third wheels always ruin dates, especially when they have feathers and red eyes that glowed in the semi-darkness.

Now where was that little bitch? William wasn't done yet!

...Dollface struggled to run, large bird clinging to her.

"Hurry!" It cawed, "We have no time!"

"I can't!"

"Try to find an exit! And don't step on the bodies!"

"Bodies?" Dollface panted, knees giving out, "What do ya-"

Dollface fell against the wall before she could finish. She gasped.

The sharp pain hit her like a truck.

The bird scraped its ebony beak against her, tucking a chemical curl behind her ear.

"We have to hurry, young mistress!"

"How?" Dollface sobbed, tears coming back.

"We need to escape," the bird said neatly in a prim accent, "do you remember anything?"

"Backdoor, or maybe loadin' dock, I don' remember now, was barricaded with boards an' shit."

"Any other place?" Quote the raven, "One maybe closer?"

"Yes, front entrance." Dollface gasped out, hearing William stomping closer to the hallway lined with Arcade machines. She nudged something with a boot, wishing she had a flashlight.

Or more blood.

She could see stars, and not just the ones hanging from the ceiling.

Dollface tried to estimate and stepped over whatever it was. She imagined she looked really silly, stepping over what was probably thin air.

The bird nuzzled her cheek, as if to let her know he was there.

_Thump!__Thump!__Thump!_

"It's too slow t'be him." Dollface whispered to her travelling companion.

"Then who could it be then?"

"Oh no," Dollface started to try and take larger, less pained steps, but her legs couldn't take it.

"Hide!" the bird flapped its wings, waddling nervously on her shoulder.

"Where!?"

"Here!" the bird flapped from her shoulder and landed in an open vent shaft.

"Oh c'mon!" Dollface yelled, exaserbated, "how!?"

"Easy!" the bird assured, "it's either hiding-" he snapped his beak onto a carboard panel with Freddy's face plastered on it, "Or we get eaten by a bear or whatever scoundrels are in this nasty place!"

"Fine…" Dollface dropped to her knees and curled up in the vent, bird hidden in spooning form and cardboard slipped over the opening just as the slow thumping footprints approached...

"Dolly, I am so scared."

Dollface watched her sister without emotions, almost as if looking at a stranger. Reggie coughed into her hand and a spray of red smattered across the pale palm. She listened to the house settle in its foreboding way.

Reggie watched Dollface's wide red eyes slowly be eaten by a metallic gold lid behind her rubbery face.

She reached out her clawed hands for Reggie.

Reggie looked up and down the bare arms.

Se'd never really seen Dollface with her arms or legs bare.

Her face?

Yes, in all its red-spotted and pourous glory.

But never the clawed arms.

Reggie looked at the red claw marks up and down them

Too many too count.

But she grabbed Dollface's hands anyway, forgetting to absently wipe the crimson speckles away.

"Ssssssssshhhhh….." Dollface hissed around triangular teeth like a queer family friend's, "It'll all be over soon….."


	81. Hidey Hole

Where the hell had that bird come from?

William stood up from where the giant black mess of greasy black feathers had attacked him, throwing him off his groove by making him jump up and fall onto his back.

Now that wasn't cool!

Third wheels always ruin dates, especially when they have feathers and red eyes that glowed in the semi-darkness.

Now where was that little bitch? William wasn't done yet!

...Dollface struggled to run, large bird clinging to her.

"Hurry!" It cawed, "We have no time!"

"I can't!"

"Try to find an exit! And don't step on the bodies!"

"Bodies?" Dollface panted, knees giving out, "What do ya-"

Dollface fell against the wall before she could finish. She gasped.

The sharp pain hit her like a truck.

The bird scraped its ebony beak against her, tucking a chemical curl behind her ear.

"We have to hurry, young mistress!"

"How?" Dollface sobbed, tears coming back.

"We need to escape," the bird said neatly in a prim accent, "do you remember anything?"

"Backdoor, or maybe loadin' dock, I don' remember now, was barricaded with boards an' shit."

"Any other place?" Quote the raven, "One maybe closer?"

"Yes, front entrance." Dollface gasped out, hearing William stomping closer to the hallway lined with Arcade machines. She nudged something with a boot, wishing she had a flashlight.

Or more blood.

She could see stars, and not just the ones hanging from the ceiling.

Dollface tried to estimate and stepped over whatever it was. She imagined she looked really silly, stepping over what was probably thin air.

The bird nuzzled her cheek, as if to let her know he was there.

_Thump!__Thump!__Thump_!

"It's too slow t'be him." Dollface whispered to her travelling companion.

"Then who could it be then?"

"Oh no," Dollface started to try and take larger, less pained steps, but her legs couldn't take it.

"Hide!" the bird flapped its wings, waddling nervously on her shoulder.

"Where!?"

"Here!" the bird flapped from her shoulder and landed in an open vent shaft.

"Oh c'mon!" Dollface yelled, exaserbated, "how!?"

"Easy!" the bird assured, "it's either hiding-" he snapped his beak onto a carboard panel with Freddy's face plastered on it, "Or we get eaten by a bear or whatever scoundrels are in this nasty place!"

"Fine…" Dollface dropped to her knees and curled up in the vent, bird hidden in spooning form and cardboard slipped over the opening just as the slow thumping footprints approached...

"Dolly, I am so scared."

Dollface watched her sister without emotions, almost as if looking at a stranger. Reggie coughed into her hand and a spray of red smattered across the pale palm. She listened to the house settle in its foreboding way.

Reggie watched Dollface's wide red eyes slowly be eaten by a metallic gold lid behind her rubbery face.

She reached out her clawed hands for Reggie.

Reggie looked up and down the bare arms.

She'd never really seen Dollface with her arms or legs bare.

Her face?

Yes, in all its red-spotted glory.

Reggie looked at the red claw marks up and down them.

Too many too count.

But she grabbed Dollface's hands anyway, forgetting to absently wipe the crimson speckles away.

"Ssssssssshhhhh….." Dollface hissed around triangular teeth like a queer family friend's, "It'll all be over soon….."


	82. SleepyTime

Reggie woke up in the vents.

Oh _gaaaaawwwd,_ it was cramped in here.

She tried to stretch her arms out to no avail.

Oh yeaaaaaaahhhhhh, she was in here now.

Huh.

Weird.

Damn, she must've been tiiiiii-er'd!

Reggie tried to reorient herself in the room.

Okay.

Not a room.

Vent.

Vent _shaft_.

Vent _system_.

Legs sore, she crawled forward.

Okay, she got this, she was still mostly asleep, but that's fine.

She's fine.

Oh!

Was that a light!?!!

Reggie sighed with relief, she'd be out in minutes!

….Dollface looked past William and out a front window into the early morning blackness.

No one was coming for them.

She could stall no longer.

All she could hope for was an early morning employee to come in and stop this.

She sighed, arms aching and strength to stand failing the more and more she tried. Dollface's tummy was burning now.

Nerves were firing off, and the lactic acid was coursing through, a desperate attempted at life.

They were no match for blood loss and trailing organs geting ready to rip away from what was left of their barriers.

Dollface coughed, making her boots slip on the neon and black arcade carpet.

_No, stop_.

Next were her knees.

_Hey, keep standing!_

She fell to them so hard.

Her arms went slack as William started dragging her.

_What was this new sensation?__Oh yes, carpet burn_.

_That's what it's called, right?_

Dollface's constant mind chatter finally went dead silent.


	83. Surprise, MotherFucker

Logan unlocked the front door.

What's that smell?

Oh my god, he was _NOT_ paid enough for this bullshit.

He walked down a hall to find his usual cleaning closet.

Logan wheeled out the bright yellow mop bucket and started filling it with sudsy water.

He adjusted his hearing aids.

Deafness, the family curse.

Same with being called, _slow/dumb/stupid..._

It's why he enjoyed being the janitor.

Logan could do what he pleased and worked in peace.

Wait. did he hear something?

Probably just chatter from his hearing aides.

That's norma-

No, no that wasn't!

He slapped the button on the wall and stopped the warm flow of water and ran to the next room.

And that's when, big, stupid, dumb, slow Logan charged all 200 pounds to sucker punch Dave Miller in a bunny suit in the face, hard enough to hear a nose crunch and to make the rat bastard crumple into a deep slumber…


	84. Blotter

"...Joe, the dutiful janitor, had picked up the phone from the front desk after entering and seeing Logan standing over the crumpled body of Dave and the girl performing as Freddy.

"Not sure who to believe, the babbling Logan or the heaping amounts of circumstantial evidence before him, Joe turned to the police.

"After police and an ambulance arrived, a full crime investigation was underway.

They soon discovered the other Fazbear girls, all barely breathing, glitter, confetti, and petals, as well as immeasurable amounts of blood and puncture wounds.

"Logan was arrested for assault, and Dave was found dead.

"But funny enough, not because of the janitor's blow, but from similar puncture wounds as Dave.

"And Dave wasn't Dave, not even close! He was the missing owner of the franchise, William Afton, now that was a twist!

Dollface, stage name Freddy, had been found with William. He'd been attempting to wrestle her shirt off when Logan had punched him.

"A girl, one dressed in an employee uniform and seen the day before working registers came crawling out of the vents mainly unharmed, other than cuts and bruises, and had referred to herself as Dollface's sister.

"That's all for now on this developing story. More at eight tonight. Back to you, Peter Parker…"

_"I went to Fazbear's Fright opening night on Halloween last week, and let me tell you as a critique, it was rough. I took my teenage son and two of his friends to the Escape Room attraction. After boredly walking through the horror attraction and solving all puzzles while being monitored by bored teens and janitors still cleaning and building the hastily constructed building._

_"This place always gave me a bad feeling, ever since they started building in the seventies then randomly picking it up again less than a month ago. After the basic maze and underwhelming jumpscares, we were seated in a central rooms with animatronics covered in stains and weird smells and loud, obnoxious children. The younger children were no fault of anyone, as this establishment was sold as a 'Family Friendly' attraction for all ages._

_"But this was not the case.__"As we ate our decent pizza, the night's performers appeared in an impressive entrance, it was apparent that the extremely young, at the very least 14 to 16 year old girls, were paraded on stage in scandalously small costumes. And the amount of glitter and confetti was terrifying!__"The leader, Freddy Fazbear was the worst of them all. I thought I could stand the small costumes as long as the songs were family friendly, but she took things much too far._

_"With a very out-of-place cover of Guns 'n Roses' infamous song 'Welcome to the Jungle', complete with mimicking the orgasmic grunts and squeals. But is that really so bad?_

_"No, she dropped her instrument and jumped from party table to party table as her bandmates grinded against their instruments. Freddy then landed at my son's table, dropped to her knees on the table in a display bordering on animalistic and drew much too close. This was enough to make the party of six small children get up and leave, yelling over the Godlessly loud music that she wanted a full refund. This drove another family to follow along. Freddy then touched my son, making him nearly pass out in teenage boyishness, then pushed him to the floor as she stood and laughed at him with her backup._

_"Luckily, Davy sustained no injuries but refused to leave the establishment without meeting the girls until security came and kicked us out._

"_Overall, Fazbear's Fright is an underwhelming attraction with basic food and highly age innapropriate shows. I suggest not supporting Fazbear Entertainment by avoiding establishments like Circus Baby's Pizza World in Branson and Columbia's very own Nedbear's Roller Rink, as well as the local 'Toy' Location here in St. Louis. I do not understand who believed the actions I have witnessed was appropriate for entertainers under eighteen and family restaurants with gimmicks. Again, avoid all locations. Try Chuck E. Cheese's, they know better_."

-A review by entertainment critic Samantha Parris, from St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the best Place for Sports and Entertainment...


	85. It's Not Over Yet

"Hi."

Dollface's bleary eyes felt smeared as she tried to force them open.

The beeping was incessant.

"Hi."

Dollface tried to sit up but felt like she'd been hit by a truck, drugs still coursing through her.

"Hello."

Dollface sighed, giving up the fight as blonde strands fell into her dark eyes.

"Hi."

The boy nudged her face. Dollface squinted her eyes at him. The sun was so bright behind him.

"Tomorrow is a new day."

Dollface grunted. "Who are you."

"Zach."

"Great, nice t'know ya, Zach." Dollface grunted, trying to roll over but being stopped by a tube.

Zach looked at her, touched her hand with his darker one, cracks and bruises gone, funny scar across his forehead like a crown as the only reminder, and smiled, disappearing for one last time in a flurry of golden petals.

"It's not over yet, at least not over for you."

Dollface closed her eyes, thinking if the vase full of flowers like yellow Marigolds, bruisey Dahlias, white Poppies, cocoa scented Chocolate Cosmos, pink Morning Glories, red Sunflowers, all surrounded by golden Sword Gladiolus.

And off in another room, she could hear the angry, muffled voice of her Grandfather on the phone as a nurse stood by.

"_Adios, muñequita_."

But right now, Dollface was happy where she was, not particularly worried about school or Regina or boys or girls or friends or even dead children. She may be cold, but at least she could feel it as she slipped to sleep...


	86. A New Chapter

"Summin's comin'."

"Mphm." Dollface grunted back to her sister.

Small town, small world.

When the richest man in the world showed up to see his baby girl and some random Elmore kids, people took note.

They had a connection somehow, and an online consiracy theorist, a real crackpot by the name of Shane Dawson, the one that made up stupid theories about Chuck E. Cheese's recycling pizzas, had decided the leader of the Fazbear Band girl group was somehow connected to Funtum after digging up a youtube video.

The video in question included Fazbear and Regina talking about random shit.

And the line 'My sister from the states.'

Regina puffed away like a chimney next to Dollface in the matching rocking chair Great Great Grandpa Cowatch had fixed in his basement in South Elmore as a wedding present to his soon-to-be Fiancé, now wife. Reggie rocked back and forth in her green vest and trucker hat, puffs floating from her mouth around the limply dangling Marlboro as she huddled in Eustace Cowatch's old Carhart jacket.

"Thought I told y'all t'quit."

"I don' giv'a shit." Reggie replied.

Dollface snorted. They'd have to check the bear traps in the woods behind the house.

Not like any bears were out and about at this time.

Reggie stomped a hiking boot on the wooden boards of the porch to announce the arrival.

Dollface looked ahead on the flat horizon of the Cowatch family's driveway just an expanse of gravel stopped by empty, flat, and long harvested farming fields.

Just an endlessly dull expanse of gray.

Like the sky full of equally grey turtle shit-like clouds.

Regina stomped again as the greasy shitbag snuck up. The little rat of a man jumped at the sound.

He was hiding something.

"Chuckie- _Charles_\- Custer." Dollface said, unblinking behind rose gold aviators, ones that matched Reggie's.

Chuckie Custer looked at the girls, shoving the lump in his pocket further in. "Y-yes?"

"You Missy's uncle 'r summin'?"

"Y-yes?" Chuckie said, not as prepared as he thought he was.

"So, uh, what'cha doin' here?" Dollface asked, leather bomber creaking as she leaned over the armrest closest to the porch railing.

"Just wanted to con-gra-joo-late ya on yer leavin'."

"Oh, why thank ya kin'ly, sir." Reggie said. It was like they had targets on their backs.

It just took the town sixteen years for the world to realize it.

"What's in yer pocket?" Dollface asked, cutting to the point.

"Oh, just a lil gift." Chuckie said, nodding and pursing his thin lips. It made him look like a balding fish or a snake that swallowed a rubber ball. Chuckie pulled out two Funtum lollipops.

"Othuh pocket." Dollface said, standing with her Grandfather's deer hunting rifle. Regina handed her the box of buckshot, hair poofing out in a spiralling mess around her grandfather's favorite summer cap.

"Well I don't think ya wanna, it's just some stuff I need t'drop off." he nervously giggled to himself.

"Drop off where?" Reggie asked accusingly.

Chuckie stammered, watching Dollface.

Dollface grabbed two shell and snapped them with her thumb into the two holes off the sideways barrel. "Y'all know my first deer was a ten-point buck. I was eleven."

Chuckie watched her snap the double barreled shotgun shut, wood to steel. "Fed us fer months."

"Well, that's real nice." Chuckie said, gulping. He backed away, hands in his ripped vest pockets again.

Dollface listened to the chick-chack as she cocked the gun. "Since? Five t'eight pointers, twelve rabbits, sev'ral quail, an' a pheasant. That last one was, th'pheasant, was an…."

Dollface braced the butt of the shotgun against her, then finished, "_Accident_."

Chuckie gulped.

"Happy Nondenominational Holidays, motherfucker."


	87. Random Announcements!

Hi!

It's me, the author!

Thanks for getting this far, lovely to see ya!

If you made it this far, comment on the story, "Welcome to Fazbear's" so I know who's reading.

I wanna thank y'all for making it here. Really, it's an honor.

I'd like to announce this isn't the end of Dollface's World- not in the slightest!

The next Dollface's story will be published soon under the title, "_American Kamikaze Girls_" and be the final book in this insane saga. After that, I'll mostly publish short stories involving the characters to help expand the world of Dollface and friends further, as well as re-edit "_Dollface's World_" and "_The Lost Children_", books one and two of this trilogy.

Like what you see?

Check out my Tumblr full of characters, artwork and stories by me, as well as random rambles as well, at https/artistictrainwrekker87./.

Ask questions, suggest ideas, give me prompts, or, at least, interact with my content, I love to meet new people!

Thank you so very much for reading, and yours truly, dollface78.


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